CHAITYA EN ALLIAGE DE CUIVRE DORÉNÉPAL, XVIIIE SIÈCLEHimalayan Art Resources item no. 145716.5 cm (6 1/2 in.) highProvenance: A GILT COPPER ALLOY CHAITYANEPAL, 18TH CENTURY尼泊爾 十八世紀 銅鎏金佛塔This chaitya, or votive reliquary, sits on a double-waisted base of elongated lotus petals. Each side features the Guardian Kings of the Four directions: Vinaraja, the 'Lute King', in the East; Khadgaraja, the 'Sword King' in the South; Chaityaraja, the 'Chaitya King' in the West; and Dhyajaraja, the 'Banner King', in the North. The squareharmika above the stupa's dome is engraved on all four sides with a pair of eyes surmounted by a tiered umbrella, replicating features of the Great Stupa of Svayambhu in the Kathmandhu Valley. As noted by Bangdel, 'The Great Stupa, an impressive architectural monument inhabiting a prominent hilltop in the Kathmandu Valley, is the premier religious center of the Newar Buddhistmunity. It is therefore not surprising that Svayambhu Mahachaitya serves as the stylistic and symbolic prototype of all chaityas, which are regarded at once as replicas and manifestations of the sacred monument.' (Huntington,Circle of Bliss, 2003, p. 111.)A closely related example with aplete platform base can be found in the Asian Art Museum, San Francisco (ibid, p. 111, no. 18).Published:Alexander W. Macdonald and Anne Vergati StahlNewar Art: Nepalese Art During the Malla Period, 1979, p. 80, no. 63.Provenance:Alexander W. Macdonald, acquired prior to 1970 by repute.