Cleveland Museum of Art

Miniature Votive Stupa

Date

c. 1000s

Medium

bronze with inlay of semiprecious stones

Culture

Eastern India, Bihar

Department

Indian and Southeast Asian Art

Institution

Cleveland Museum of Art

Small-scale stupas were modeled on large monuments that contain relics of the Buddha or revered members of the Buddhist community within the solid, dome segment. Such models were made to commemorate a devotional visit to the monument. Four different sacred Buddhist images face each of the four directions: Shakyamuni, Vajrasattva, Maitreya, and Prajnaparamita. The spire consists of thirteen disk-like parasols that refer to the thirteen stages on the path to enlightenment.

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