AN IRON STUPA 11TH CENTURYTibet or India. Massively cast-iron reliquary stupa with a distinctive sun-and-moon finial on top. A fine and early example of this fundamental form of 'aniconic' Buddha representation.Provenance: The Alain Presencer collection. Published: Himalayan Art Resources item no. 61674.Condition: Superb condition with original sealing. Extensive wear and a few small nicks here and there. Fine patina. Weight: 505.3 grams.Dimensions: Height 16 cm.For the first five centuries, Buddha's followers did not represent him in human form. Rather they emphasized his supramundane nature and celebrated its lingering presence in the world. Stupas are among the most important and lasting of these 'aniconic' representations. They can be small reliquaries, like the present, charged with sacred contents, or large monuments for pilgrimage believed to house important relics - in some cases still-vivified elements of Shakyamuni's mortal body. Precedent for its sun-and-moon finial can be found in the earliest Indian stupas, as seen in a famous 8th-century Gilgit shrine of Crowned Buddha in the Rockefeller Collection at Asia Society (1979.044).Over the past 50 years, Alain Presencer has devoted his life to the study and promotion of Tibetan Buddhism and culture. His contributions to the field resulted in numerous recognitions, including his appointment as a Fellow of the Royal Asiatic Society. Alain also brought to the West his knowledge of the extraordinary and mystical religious music of the region. As a result, he produced a popular recording of his own performances, introducing this musical genre to a global audience with his album 'The Singing Bowls of Tibet', which has sold over a million copies to date.十一世紀舍利鐵塔西藏或印度。厚重的鑄鐵舍利塔,獨特的日月狀頂部。這是無偶像論佛像表現形式立一個很好的早期例子。來源:Alain Presencer 收藏出版: Himalayan Art Resources item no. 61674品相:極好,原始封底。明顯磨損和小刻痕。包漿良好。 重量:505.3 克尺寸:高 16 厘米