Tibetan Stupa Offering Bowl

Clear as water, and stacked like a pagoda.

This stupa offering bowl was made in Tibet in crystal in the 20th century. Stupa forms are commonly associated with Buddhist devotion and often appear in shrine settings. Here the tall tower rises in tiers: a round base, a swelling dome, a series of rings and a pointed finial at the top. The crystal is mostly clear, with cloudy streaks and faint golden stains within, which give the carved edges a soft, milky glow.

About nine inches tall. It catches window light and gives it back, softly.