Tibetan Ga’u

Portable Silver & Gilt Amulet Shrine & Cover with Clay Tsha-Tsha

Eastern Tibet

This fine example of a ga’u or portable talismanic shrine or box is of trefoil shape and comprises a silver front decorated with applied gilded (gold-plated copper plaques), two pairs of applied silver lugs, and copper sides and back plate. Inside, there is a relief-moulded clay votive tablet or tsha-tsha, as well as two pieces of thin, hand-made paper on which, block-printed, there are talismanic mantras in Tibetan lantsa script and diagrams. The box is enclosed in a red cotton sleeve to protect it.

The front of the box is very finely repoussed and chased with beautiful floral and scrolling leaf motifs, in high relief. Nine gilded copper plaques surround a central arched ‘window’ through which the

tsha-tsha can be seen. The plaques have embossed with different Himalayan Buddhistic motifs. One further plaque at the base of the ‘window’ is decorated with a protective kala mask. The background is exquisitely rendered and shows delicate floral and leaf scrollwork that is typical of Eastern Tibet.

The

tsha-tsha of pressed clay shows traces of polychrome and is decorated with an image of the seated Buddha Amitayas. Sometimes the soil or clay of a sacred place was collected and incorporated into the clay made to use tsha-tshas.Ga’us are encountered only in Tibet or areas influenced by Tibetan Buddhism, such as Bhutan. No other Buddhist regions have anything like them. They were worn when travel was undertaken but otherwise were stored on the domestic altar.

The example here is in fine condition, and still retains its

tsha-tsha.