RELIQUARY IN THE FORM OF A STUPA
1st Century AD
Code: 0973 - Price: POA

An rare green schist reliquary in the form of a Stupa, consisting of a decorated narrow round drum base (ghantãkãra), a hemispherical dome (anda), and a central shaft (yasti) supporting a series of five parasols (chattra) of diminishing size; The dome is decorated with a band of delicately carved lotuses.
Stupa contains a smaller (5cm) gold relic Stupa. Crafted in two pieces comprising of a round drum base (ghantãkãra), a hemispherical dome (anda), with a central shaft (yasti) supporting a series of five parasols (chattra) of diminishing size.

A Stupa (Sanskrit Thupa or Thapa: ‘mound’) is the principal type of Buddhist shrine and was originally a funeral mound, constructed to house relics of the Buddha or of one of his noble acolytes. By the Kushan era they had evolved into places of pilgrimage consisting of a large hemispherical dome, often on a square base and decorated with statues and reliefs depicting the life of the Buddha. Pilgrims would often construct small votive stupas around the main Stupa as a mark of homage and to commemorate their visit.

For a comparable example also with incised lotus flower decoration to the dome see pl 35. Grand Exhibition of the Silk Road Civilizations Catalogue. Silk Road Exposition. Nara 1988.

For two closely related examples in the Swat Museum, see pl. 81 and 82 in Khan, Dr. M. Ashraf. Gandhara Sculptures in the Swat Museum. Saidu Sharif, Swat: 1993.
Also in the same museum, see pl. 74 in Khan, Makin, Curator Archaeological museum, Saidu Sharif, Swat: 1997. And similar examples also in green schist in private collection Japan, pl. 806 and pl. 757 Gandharan Art Volume 2, Isao Kurita. Nigensha press 2003


There is also a fine example in Indian Sculpture Volume 1, Pratapadita Pal 1986.
E. Errington and J. Cribb (eds.). The Crossroads of Asia. Exhibition Catalogue, Cambridge: Ancient India and Iran Trust, 1992. There is also a fine example in a private collection in London- see catalogue no. 82 in Stanislaw Czuma, Kushan Sculpture: Images from Early India. Cleveland: Cleveland Museum of Art, 1985
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Measurements: 7.25" (18.5cm tall),