This is a model of the Mahabodhi temple, the holiest of Buddhist pilgrimage sites. The temple marks the place where the historical Buddha Gautama attained Enlightenment while meditating beneath a pipal tree. The site of his Enlightenment continues to be marked by a tree, presumed to be a descendant of the original tree.

A temple existed on the site by at least the 5th century CE, as described in Chinese pilgrims’ accounts. This piece is a gem of Indian miniaturised sculpture, replicating with remarkable precision the elements of medieval Indian temple architecture. The architectural style suggests that this model post-dates the extensive renovations of the temple undertaken by Burmese donors in the late 11th centuryat the behest of the kings of Pagan.

Models of this kind have been found in Buddhist lands beyond India, most notably Tibet and Burma. This suggests that these models were transported to distant Buddhist lands where they served as a surrogate pilgrim site. Devotees who could not make the perilous journey to eastern India could meditate on the model and its message instead.

A number of monasteries in Tibet are recorded as once having had models, in stone or wood, of not just the Mahabodhi temple but of the entire complex, complete with its medieval enclosure wall and four gateways described by the Chinese pilgrims.