Antique Bronze Miniature Stupa/Pagoda, Nepal (3207LME) $425
$425.00
H: 3.25” Dia: 2.25″ | FREE SHIPPING!
This 18th-century antique hand-made bronze 7-level stupa/pagoda was made in Nepal and was purchased in the 1970s in Kathmandu. This fine example has decorative details around the base and two of the round eaves have scalloped edges. It was used for personal devotion on a home altar or shrine. Antique Buddhist items are now extremely scarce in Nepal.
Description
A stupa is a memorial shrine and a sacred burial mound to house sacred relics associated with the Buddha or other Buddhist saintly persons, a symbol of the Buddha’s enlightenment and a model of the Buddhist cosmos (McArthur, p. 179). Initially they were hemispherical mound-like shapes and were transformed in East Asia into a pagoda – a multi-tiered tower with eaves or roofs projected outward from a central structure. The oldest stupa in Nepal is at Swayambhunath in the Kathmandu Valley (circa 5th century CE) topped with a 13-tier pagoda. Small reliquaries, stupas and pagoda-shaped pieces without relics in wood and metalwork began to be made for personal worship for the faithful to be placed on home altars along with statues and other spiritual objects as reminders that enlightenment is available to all sentient beings. This is part of the VA Spiritual-and-Inspirational Collection of Buddhist-Art.
Sources
Meher McArthur, Reading Buddhist Art: An Illustrated Guide to Buddhist Signs and Symbols, London, Thanes and Hudson, 2002.
Additional information
| Weight | 3 lbs |
|---|---|
| Dimensions | 6 × 6 × 6 in |
| Place of Origin | Nepal |
| Period | Antique (1200-1920) |
| Date | 18th century |
| Materials and Technique | Bronze/brass/copper alloy |
| Dimensions (inches) | Ht: 3.25” Dia: 2.25” |
| Dimensions (metric) | Ht: 36.83cm W: 16.51 D: 13.97 |
| Weight | 3.9oz |
| Condition | Very good, wear consistent with age and use/no restorations/repairs |
| Reference Number | 3207LME |
| Shipping Box Size |
