Wat Ratburana: Reliquary Stupa

THAILAND, Ayutthaya; Ayutthaya Kingdom

This reliquary stupa was excavated from Wat Ratburana in Ayutthaya in 1957, with several other Buddhist artifacts, such as reliquaries, steles, Dharma instruments, and utensils.
The stupa consists of a base, body, and spire. The base has two tiers: the lower tier is a round platform decorated with circles and diamonds with flowers inside, while the upper tier is a representation of Mount Sumeru embedded with a lotus pattern. The bell-shape body is overlaid with four ornate bands decorated with precious stones. The shoulder and harmika are embellished in a similar way. The spire consists of two stacked rings and an upright lotus followed by a slender cone.
This reliquary stupa represents a typical 15th century work of Buddhist art from the Ayutthaya Kingdom (circa 1350–1767), and exhibits the mature craftsmanship of that era.