This object is a faithful three-dimensional replica of a miniature votive stupa (jingta) originally produced in northwest China during the Northern Wei dynasty (386–534 CE). The original stupa dates to around 435 CE and belongs to a rare and well-defined group of small devotional stupas made in the Gansu corridor, a key region along the Silk Road that played a central role in the transmission of Buddhism from Central Asia to China.
Despite its modest scale, the original stupa embodies essential aspects of early Chinese Buddhism, including devotion, cosmology, and the dissemination of sacred texts. Such miniature stupas were closely associated with personal religious practice and lay patronage rather than monumental state-sponsored architecture. Inscriptions on comparable examples often name individual donors; although the patron of this stupa is unknown, its dedicatory text expresses the aspiration that all sentient beings may attain enlightenment, reflecting the universal and compassionate outlook of Mahayana Buddhism.
The form of the stupa integrates Buddhist doctrine with indigenous Chinese thought. The lower register depicts eight bodhisattvas, enlightened beings who defer their own final liberation to assist others. Above each figure appears a trigram composed of broken or unbroken horizontal lines derived from the Yijing (I Ching), a foundational Chinese cosmological text. This combination illustrates how Buddhist visual culture adapted to and absorbed local intellectual traditions during the fifth century.
The middle register of the stupa bears an inscription in kaishu (regular script) calligraphy, quoting a passage from the Ekottaragama Sutra. The text includes the twelve links of dependent origination (nidanas), a central Buddhist teaching that explains the cycle of suffering and rebirth and is traditionally associated with the Buddha’s enlightenment.
The original object was carved in steatite and measures approximately 16.9 cm (6 5/8 inches) in height. This replica has been digitally reconstructed to preserve the proportions, inscriptions, and iconographic details of the historic model as accurately as possible.
Available materials
This replica is offered in the following materials:
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White nylon (polished): a smooth, cost-effective option with a refined surface.
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Black nylon (Color Touch finish): a durable material with a uniform, scratch-resistant surface and stable coloration across production batches.
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Bronze
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Gold-plated brass
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White rhodium-plated brass
Metal versions are produced using a lost-wax casting process based on a high-resolution 3D-printed master model, allowing for detailed and elegant results consistent with traditional metal casting techniques.
Production note
Objects that exceed the technical limits of a given material or production process are produced at a reduced scale relative to the original. In some cases, internal hollowing is applied to reduce material use and overall cost while maintaining the external form and visual integrity of the object.
