Rock crystal, gilt copper, turquoises
Bhutan, 19th / 20th century
Finely chased elements
Open work canopy with crescent moon and sun
Three-step base with engraved lotus decor and flowers in relief
Gilt mountings on the Stupa
Sealed with a copper base with double vajra symbol
Dimensions: 28 x 18.5 x 18.5 cm (height x width x depth)
Very good condition
Provenance: from an important private collection

This parinirvana stupa was made of rock crystal and is adorned with gilt mountings. The stupa stands on a three-step base of gilt copper and is adorned with small round turquois inlays. The base is decorated with engraved lotus decor and flowers in relief. In Buddhism, the lotus is the symbol of purity and mental clarity. The word parinirvana roughly means ‘total termination’, in the sense of a complete nirvana. The finely chased stupa tapers upwards and is crowned with an open work canopy with crescent moon and sun. The base of the parinirvana stupa is sealed with a copper plate with a double vajra symbol.



The Stupa is in very good condition with natural patina and slight signs of age and wear such as missing inlays and little gold wear. With base it is 28 cm tall and the width as well was the depth measures 18.5 cm.



Stupa

The stupa is deemed one of the earliest and most important Buddhist structures and is viewed as being a symbol of Buddha and dharma. In Sanskrit, the word stup means ‘to heap up or accumulate’. Originally, this was used to denote semi-spherical mounds out of soil or stone, in which the remains of the dead were kept. The semi-sphere symbolised completeness and was used as an emblem for the universe. The stupa consists for the most part of a square-shaped platform, from which a dome with a tip extends.

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