Reliquary in the form of a Stupa (dagoba)
Not on view
In Buddhist Sri Lanka is preserved the earliest and ‘purest’ form of Theravada Buddhism. The honoring of revered teachers as guardians of the lineage and the transmitters of knowledge is central, ensuring that the original teachings of the Buddha, the dharma, are preserved. So evolved the custom of internment of the cremation ashes of such teachers in a model stupa (Sinhalese: dagoba). These were then housed in the monastery assembly halls and chapels with which the deceased was associated.
This example of lathe-turned wood is of exceptional scale, and would have itself, served as the container for a smaller reliquary of a higher value material, precious metal and rock crystal having the greatest sanctity.
