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- 84 Hand-drum
late 19th/early 20th century
wood, leather, I. 71 cm
Gift of Miss Eleanor Kunderman
VM 1988.11.129
This type of hand-drum would have been rattled during the reading of the sacred scriptures to get the attention of the gods. The wooden handle is in the shape of a phur-ba dagger.
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a) Charm Box with Necklace (top)
late 19th/early 20th century
silver, copper, paste, turquoise, coral, etc.
Asian Art Purchase Fund AGGV
Charm Box (left)
early 20th century
silver, copper, paste, I. 7.5 cm
Private Collection
Charm Box (right)
early 20th century
silver, copper, turquoise, I. 8.8 cm
Gift of Mrs. H. R. Gale
AGGV
b) Shrine-shaped Charm Boxes (gau)
19th century
silver, copper, gilt
i) Gift of Dr. Morton Shulman
NBM 987.5.3
ii) Gift of Dr. Morton Shulman NBM 987.5.1
iii) Gift of Vivian and David M. Campbell NBM 985.7.38 (with cloth cover)
iv) Gift of Mrs. H. R. Gale AGGV
In the past, almost every Tibetan carried a portable talisman or charm box (gau), especially when travelling. They believed that all sorts of evil spirits could cause illnesses and misfortunes, but that by carrying these boxes containing charms, prayers or images blessed by a lama, the spirits would be propitiated.
The boxes came in various shapes and sizes � square, round, oval, trapezoid, etc, and have elaborate designs made by pearled wire and inlaid turquoise, coral and paste. The interesting part of charm box (a �top) is its necklace beads. The elongated, black glassy beads with sharp white lines are known as zi beads. They are highly prized and are of extremely early origins.
Amongst the most common gaus are the shrine�shaped ones (b), which served as portable shrines. They usually have embossed designs of various Buddhist symbols or deities amidst floral scrolls around an arched window. From inside, a small, painted, clay deity figure called a tsa-tsa peered out to safeguard the carrier of the box. The individual�s yidam or guardian angel was usually determined by their lama.
a) Tsa-tsa Votive Plaques
clay, right with pigment, ht. 7.3 & 8.1 cm AGGV
b) Mould for tsa-tsa and cover 18th century, (Sino-Tibetan) brass, ht. 10 cm
George Crofts Collection ROM 923.24.216
c) Mould for Charm
late 19th/early 20th century wood, 28 x 10 cm UBCAM Ee.83
Tsa-tsa are stamped clay images or plaques made from moulds, which were sun-dried and sometimes painted. They were mass-produced by monasteries to sell as pilgrim charms and were often placed in charm boxes. Their production was also a means of acquiring merit. Sometimes the ashes of lamas were mixed with the clay making them even more powerful. The most popular images for the stamped plaques were Buddhas, bodhisattvas, protectors, Dalai Lamas, etc.
The tsa-tsa (a-left) with the numerous small Buddha figures was found in ancient beam holes at the tombs of the Yarlung kings. Therefore, it may be of quite an early date.
The cover for the brass moulds of a tsa-tsa (b) has characters in Chinese, Mongolian, Manchu and Tibetan. The inscription at the bottom in Chinese lists the reign of emperor Qianlong (1736-95). This mould probably came from a lama temple in China.
Mould (c) is used for making charms for naga ceremonies. The upper right side has the Eight Tri�grams and the left has Tibetan numbers. The image at middle right is of a Naga King. The reverse side has the animals of the zodiac.
86
87 Hair Ornament
early 20th century
fabric with turquoise, silver, I. 61 cm VM DE 380
This ornament would be attached or braided into the hair of a Tibetan woman (probably of the Ladakh area) and would hang over her back. At the top is a charm box inlaid with turquoise.
88 Headdress
early 20th century
fabric with turquoise, d. 21 cm
d. 21 cm
VM DE 379
This headdress, with its combination of rough natural stones sewn onto a coarse fabric, is another example of the primitive, yet charming, Tibetan folk jewellery. It probably comes from Ladakh.
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