A LARGE AND MASSIVE ‘FOUR BUDDHA’ DIRECTIONAL BRONZE STUPA, QING Tibetan-Chinese, 18th-19th century. Supported on an octagonal double-lotus stepped base, rising to a gallery with vajras and upright flame motifs, the domed mid-section with finely arranged beads and surmounted by images of the four directional Buddhas in arched niches. Provenance: British private collection. Condition: Very good condition with old wear, some minor casting flaws, scattered small nicks, occasional light scratches, all consistent with age. Weight: 6.9 kg Dimensions: Height 48.5 cm The conical harmika with bands of swastika motifs, surmounted by a crescent moon and sun finial with a flaming pearl motif. The set of icons that appears most conspicuously on the exterior of this stupa is known as the Buddhas of the Four Directions. These four Buddhas refer to the Ratnasaṃbhava (Baosheng) Buddha in the south, the Amitabha (Amituo) Buddha in the west, the Amoghasiddhi (Bukong chengjiu) Buddha in the north, and the Akṣobhya (Achu) Buddha in the east, all as seen for example on the four exterior walls of the North Pagoda in Chaoyang, Liaoning, dated to 1043–44. The image of each Buddha is located on the side of the shaft facing the cardinal direction with which the Buddha is associated. Together with the Vairocana Buddha, the group comprises the Five Wisdom Buddhas (wuzhi rulai) that constitute the Diamond World Mandala in the tantric tradition. 清代大型四佛青銅佛塔 漢藏，十八至十九世紀。八角形的雙蓮花階梯式底座，佛塔四方分別立著一位佛尊。金剛火焰紋，拱頂的中間部分立有寶珠。 來源：英國私人收藏 品相：狀況良好，有舊磨損，一些輕微的鑄造缺陷，散落的小刻痕，偶有的輕微划痕，均與年代一致。 重量：6.9 公斤 尺寸：高48.5 厘米