Tibetan Monastery Mold or Die for Stupa

A small bronze tool for making many small devotions.

This monastery mold or die for a stupa comes from Tibet and dates to the 16th century, made of bronze. Tibetan Buddhists have long pressed clay into molds like this to form small votive images and stupas, called tsa-tsa, each one counted as an act of merit and placed at shrines and monuments. The bell-shaped form narrows to a short, worn-looking grip. A single raised Tibetan character stands at the lower edge, and pitted dark patches mark the surface around it. Polished high points shine against the rest. Just under five inches high and 4.5 across.

Repetition, in this tradition, is the whole point.