Qingzhou White Pagoda: Stupa

CHINA, Inner Mongolia, Chifeng; Liao dynasty

This stupa was recovered from the spire of Qingzhou White Pagoda in 1989. It was created during the Liao dynasty and was made using repoussé and welding techniques. The silver panel inside is inscribed with the Great Compassion Dharani.
The slender stupa consists of a base, body, roof, and spire. The round base has two tiers decorated with inverted lotuses. At the front, there is a standing figure holding an alms bowl in his left hand and a staff in his right. The hexagonal body has a door in the center, and the lintel is decorated with clouds. There is a warrior on the opposite side, while the other sides feature figures making offerings and female attendants. The body is enclosed by a balustrade.
The pyramidal roof has drip tiles and is surmounted by an inverted bowl followed by a spire, which consists of a lotus-shaped base, an inverted bowl, a jewel, and a three-tier canopy. The first tier of the canopy has six chains that connect to the corners of the eaves. The finial is in the form of a phoenix with an ornament in its mouth, and wind chimes hang from the canopies, eaves, and chains.