Chindangu - altar equipment

Japanese: 鎮壇具 - ちんだんぐ

Items buried underground in temple buildings to break the ground when a temple was built. In the Nara period, they were mainly treasures of gold, silver, and lapis lazuli, as well as a wide variety of mirrors, sharp tools, and containers; representative examples are those found in the Chukondo Hall of Kofuku-ji Temple and the Kondo Hall of Todai-ji Temple. From the Heian period onwards, in accordance with the customs of esoteric Buddhism, ritual implements such as five grains and shippo (cloisonné) were placed along with rings and ketsu (ceremonial vessels), but there are also examples in which the five treasures, five medicines, and five grains were added to make a total of fifteen items, or even five incense, bringing the total to twenty. In an example from the Kamakura period found in the Daimido Hall of Bodai-in Hall of Kofuku-ji Temple, ten rings, eight ketsu (ceremonial vessels), eleven tile-ware bowls, and eleven small Hajiki plates were placed around a copper jar containing gold leaf and rice grains.

Source: Encyclopaedia Britannica Concise Encyclopedia About Encyclopaedia Britannica Concise Encyclopedia Information

Japanese:

寺院の建立に際し，地鎮のため堂塔の地下に埋められた品物。奈良時代では金，銀，瑠璃などの財宝を主体に，鏡，利器，合子など多種多彩で，興福寺中金堂，東大寺金堂などから発見されたものが代表例。平安時代以降は，密教の作法に基づき，ほぼ五穀，七宝の類に輪，けつなどの法具が配されたが，五宝，五薬，五穀の十五物，さらに五香を加えて二十物とした例もある。興福寺菩提院大御堂から発見された鎌倉時代の例では，金箔，稲穀を納めた銅瓶を中心に輪宝 10，けつ8，瓦器わん 11，土師器小皿 11が配されていた。

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