Yonghe Temple: Stupa

CHINA, Beijing; Qing dynasty

This picture of a Tibetan stupa inscribed with a Sanskrit mantra was printed in the 19th century. A seated Amitabha Buddha is enshrined within the stupa. The spire is made up of stacked rings and a canopy, and it is topped with a crescent moon and a jewel. The hourglass shaped Sumeru throne supporting the stupa is decorated with a vajra. Usnisa Sitatapatra and the Buddhas of the Ten Directions occupy the upper register. Beside the finial of the stupa, eight small heavenly beings stand on clouds, holding objects such as streamers, pennants, flowers, a drum, cymbals, and a flute. Below the heavenly beings, eight Bodhisattvas with nimbuses and aureoles flank the spire of the stupa. Eleven Dharma protectors are depicted in the lower register. Prints of stupas like this one are sometimes placed on dead bodies to help guide the deceased to a favorable rebirth.