A copper-alloy stupa Tibet, 13th century | 西藏 十三世紀 銅合金佛塔

The tiered upper section with closed lotus finial on this stupa is associated with the Kadampa sect which revived Tibetan Buddhism after the 11th century. A bronze stupa, closely related to the present example, is in the British Museum, London (Zwalf 1985, p.139, no.198). Zwalf discusses a further stupa from this group, now in the Newark Museum. Its contents were examined and found to include barley grains, dated by radiocarbon analysis to circa 1230.

A similar example was sold in these rooms, 11th December 2018, lot 47. Compare also three stupas sold in our Hong Kong rooms, 30th June 2020, lot 6022, 6045 and 6062, from the collection of Cheng Huan.