Chorten, 13th century, 17 11/16 x 7 1/2 in. ( x cm), Brass, Tibet, 13th century, This portable chorten (Tibetan for stupa, a domed structure that contains relics) can be understood as a three-dimensional mandala. The dome-shaped base derives from the hemispherical burial mounds erected over the relics of the Buddha. These architectural structures sprinkle the landscape of the Himalayas as representations of the Buddha, his teachings, and a microcosm of the universe. It is said the first mandala was created when devotees walked a pathway around the stupa, forming concentric circles

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Model Released: No

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