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Lot Essay
Such stupa are very rare. Relics that were enshrined in stupa are of three types: those believed to be the corporeal remains of the Buddha himself or other enlightened beings ; objects associated with the life of the Buddha, such as his alms bowls, staff and robe ; and the funerary remains of eminents members of the Buddhist community.
Relics were usually buried beneath the foundations of a stupa or were contained within caskets that were stored within relic chambers built at the center of a stupa. Complete reliquary groups cannot be identified with certainty because these groups were frequently split and reassigned to new locations by followers to increase the potency of a newly built stupa.
For a similar sized rock crystal stupa see lot 11 sold at Sotheby's New York, 24 March 2004
Relics were usually buried beneath the foundations of a stupa or were contained within caskets that were stored within relic chambers built at the center of a stupa. Complete reliquary groups cannot be identified with certainty because these groups were frequently split and reassigned to new locations by followers to increase the potency of a newly built stupa.
For a similar sized rock crystal stupa see lot 11 sold at Sotheby's New York, 24 March 2004