Temple Stupa – Crystal with Filigree

Buddhist stupa from crystal in a pillared construction. Worked in filigree and repoussé, gilded and silver-plated, set with colored stones. Known in Tibetan as chorten, the stupa represents the enlightened mind of the Buddha and the Dharma.

The stupa stands on a three-tiered, square base. Cut from quartz crystal, it comprises the dome, anda, the harmika above it, and the tapering mast, set with a small turquoise at its top. Four small Buddha votive plaques are inset in the crystal stupa, aligned with the four cardinal directions. Behind them, a band of lapis lazuli encircles the stupa.

A roof supported by four columns is the outer part of the structure. The roof is worked with chiseled ornaments and has a drop-shaped crystal on top. At each of the four corners, a dragon head is applied, and from its mouth hangs a drop-shaped crystal.

Base and stupa are worked in filigree. Thin wire is bent into spirals, filled with small arched elements, and joined in an ornamental pattern. Colored stones are set within the filigree as floral accents. The curved, shield-shaped elements between the spherical feet are worked in repoussé.

The stupa follows iconographic conventions of Vajrayana art in the Kathmandu Valley, in which architectural structure, symbolic meaning, and ornament are brought together in a balanced composition.

Stupa

Copper, crystal, decorated with fine filigree, set with colored stones, gold- and silver-plated. The work is patinated. Handcrafted in Nepal.

• Height: 48 cm (19 in)
• Width: 37 cm (14 in)
• Depth: 36 cm (14 in)
• Weight: 5,800 g

A NOTICE 
The columns, base, and roof are joined together by a plug connection.