Miniature stupa

In ancient India the stupa was a moundlike monument constructed to enclose and honor the relics of a revered person, and became the focus of worship and pilgrimage.

Miniature stupas such as this generally held relics, which were placed in a small container inside the bellshaped body of the stupa. This miniature stupa was probably donated to the temple for the purpose of gaining merit.

Most of the the earliest stupas in India were approximately hemispherical. Through the centuries the form tended to grow taller and thinner. By the nineteenth century in Thailand it had assumed the tall cone shape seen here.

The Chulamani stupa in Indra's Heaven, where hair relics and a tooth of the Buddha are said to be housed, was often portrayed in Siam as resembling this miniature stupa. The Chulamani stupa can also be seen in a tiered stand for Buddha images, 2006.27.18.