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Manikiala Stupa 15: Reliquary Stupa
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Manikiala Stupa 15: Reliquary Stupa
PAKISTAN, Punjab, Rawalpindi; circa 1st century; Stone; H: 21.9 cm; British Museum, London, United Kingdom
This reliquary stupa was made in Gandhara in the 1st century during the Kushan period (circa 1st-3rd century). It was discovered in Manikiala Stupa 15 near Rawalpindi.
The stupa is made of steatite and consists of a base, body, and spire, which were created separately. It is 21.9 cm high with a diameter at the base of 11.8 cm. The round base is quite high and is decorated with a series of plain moldings. The body consists of a cylinder followed by a dome. There are plain moldings at the bottom and top of the cylinder. The dome is surmounted by a square harmika in the form of an inverted stepped truncated pyramid. Each face of the harmika has an image of a lotus. The spire consists of three stacked rings and a finial. The crystal pear-shape reliquary bottle with a stopper in the shape of a lotus bud was placed in the center of the hollow base. |
