Tibetan-Chinese. Finely cast, raised on a tiered hexagonal platform atop a stepped square base with pairs of lions seated on their haunches flanking the Three Jewels on each side of the waist, between neatly incised lotus-petal bands as well as two bands of mantras in Tibetan script including ‘Om Mani Pedme Hum’, the condensed form of all Buddhist teachings.

The domed bulbous stupa is cast with four lion masks suspending beaded garlands and set on one side with a framed opening below the ribbed spire flanked by foliate scrolls. The base sealed with a copper baseplate engraved with a double vajra.

Provenance: From a private estate in New York, United States.
Condition: Good condition with minor wear, casting irregularities, few nicks, light scratches, minor dents, some warping. The globular finial is a later replacement, the top of the spire with minor touchups.

Weight: 1.8 kg
Dimensions: Height 24.4 cm

Stupas were originally memorial monuments built over the mortal remains of Shakyamuni and other important figures. They represent the past and the present, and symbolize Nirvana. The unique architectural form of the present example is strongly influenced by Tibetan characteristics. The square Mt. Sumeru base and the tapered steps are Tibetan in style, while the rounded dome is Indian in origin. Above is the harmika, consisting of a conical spire of thirteen layers, symbolic of the thirteen stages of enlightenment.

In the context of Tibetan Buddhist practice, stupas such as the present lot are placed on the altar to represent the Buddha's enlightened mind and to evoke the presence of the Buddha and his teachings. The shape of these small stupas are based on those of larger size, such as the pair of much larger gilt-copper stupas on their original stands, in the Pavilion of Raining Flowers in the Forbidden City, Beijing, see Cultural Relics of Tibetan Buddhism Collected in the Qing Palace, Beijing, 1998, page 250.

Auction result comparison:
Type: Closely related
Auction: Christie’s Hong Kong, 29 May 2007, lot 1578
Price: HKD 108,000 or approx. EUR 19,500 (converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing)
Description: A Sino-Tibetan gilt-copper stupa, Qing dynasty, 18^th century
Expert remark: Compare the closely related form, manner of casting, and gilding, with similarly modeled domed bulbous stupa and square base with lions and Three Jewels at the waist. Note the size (29.2 cm).

Auction result comparison:
Type: Closely related
Auction: Christie’s New York, 23 March 1999, lot 156
Price: USD 27,600 or approx. EUR 47,000 (converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing)
Description: A gilt bronze stupa, Sino-Tibetan, 18^th century
Expert remark: Compare the closely related form, manner of casting, and gilding, with similarly modeled domed bulbous stupa and square base with lions and Three Jewels at the waist. Note the size (36.8 cm).