A POLYCHROMED WOOD STUPA­


SRI LANKA, KANDYAN PERIOD, 18TH/19TH CENTURY29 1/4 in. (74.3 cm) high
|斯里蘭卡 康提時期 十八/十九世紀 彩繪木質佛塔 Through their function as relic chambers and their cosmological symbolism, stupas (dagabas in Sri Lanka) celebrate Buddha's lasting presence in this world and his departure from it. Formed of stacked components, this large model is painted in the Kandyan period's rich vermillion and ochre palette. King Kirti Sri Rajasinha of Kandy (r.1747-82) patronized a Buddhist revival of art and monastic institutions, in the second half of the 18th century, restoring and expanding many of Sri Lanka's important pilgrimage sites. Among them, the cave temples of Dambulla were painted with brilliant colors, housing several stupas from which the present model likely takes formal inspiration. Resting within a cylindrical base, the model emerges with deeply waisted circular rings, a beautifully curved bell-shaped dome, a rectangular harmika painted with lotus petals, and a delightfully voluminous tapering spire. ExhibitedPhoenix Rising, Phoenix Art Museum, Arizona, 16 April - 29 May 2016.   Provenance Private Collection, US, by 1957 Thence by descent