NEPAL, CIRCA 13TH CENTURY

In medieval Nepal, miniature models of chaityas were created as ritual objects and disseminated widely. A fundamental aspect of Nepalese Buddhist worship was the ritual creation of stupas and chaityas, often out of clay, as a means to gain merit. While this ornate copper-alloy model would not have been made by the lay in such a practice, but commissioned, also for merit, at relatively great cost, it underscores the significance of the chaitya and its essential role in Nepalese Buddhist worship. A comparable example sold at Sotheby's, Paris, 15 June 2023, lot 150.