Returned to lender The Met accepts temporary loans of art both for short-term exhibitions and for long-term display in its galleries.
Miniature Stupas
Not on view
Model stupas (burial mounds) are an important touchstone in understanding the types of monumental stupas favored in Pyu Myanmar. A rod of iron supports the multiple umbrellas (chattravala) and is capped with a device to support banner-like projections. Cylindrical stupa models were widely favored as containers for sutras (sacred texts) in both South and East Asia and likely served the same function in a Pyu Buddhist setting. Both of these miniatures were once sealed at the base, though no trace of a sacred deposit was recorded with their discovery.
cat. no. 31a, b
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