Stupa

Tibet

On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 253

The stupa (Tibetan: chorten) is the most ancient form of Buddhist art, symbolizing the monumental funerary mounds of ancient India that were appropriated into Buddhism as depositories for Buddha relics. Over time they assumed many forms, including scaled-down versions in metal, which serve the same function of housing holy relics, but whose higher purpose in a Buddhist monastery is to evoke the presence of the Buddha and his teachings.

Stupa, Brass, Tibet

Due to rights restrictions, this image cannot be enlarged, viewed at full screen, or downloaded.

Open Access

As part of the Met's Open Access policy, you can freely copy, modify and distribute this image, even for commercial purposes.

API

Public domain data for this object can also be accessed using the Met's Open Access API.