This Tibetan, hand-carved stupa or temple is a very special spiritual vessel. It was likely crafted for private shrine/altar worship by a lama or monastery craftsmen, c. 1930s-1950s. The stupa was filled with specially collected precious stone offerings and then consecrated by a qualified Buddhist lama. The filling process activated its spiritual power making it a source of blessings, peace, and positive energy for the entire community. A filled stupa represents the enlightened mind of the Buddha and is often used as a focal point for meditation. It reminds practitioners of the path to enlightenment and helps them to purify negative energy or karma and accumulate positive karma. The bottom of the stupa has a hand-painted, red Tibetan swastika or ancient blessing, and is a graphic representation of spiritual fortune, eternity, and stability. The stupa is in very good condition, stands about 9" tall with a top piece and a tiered base embedded with small, semi-precious cabochons.