On the brass ewer unearthed from the crypt of the Shang-fang Śarīra Stupa of Qingshan Monastery in Lintong District, Shaanxi

Abstract

Abstract A cast brass ewer was unearthed from the Shangfang Śarīra Stupa crypt at Qingshan Monastery. Most likely, it was made in the northwestern part of the South Asian subcontinent in the late seventh century. Integrating ancient Roman, Sassanian, and early Islamic styles, the shape of this ewer not only is a mixture of the elements of different eras and traditions but also reflects unique attributes. The multi-headed and multi-armed deities from Hinduism, especially Skanda, may have inspired the six-faced design on the body. Eventually, the ewer was taken to Chang’an by Indian or Kashmirian monks and buried in the pagoda’s crypt.