Decorated in dragon head, lotuses, Fish, birds, and three windows. Traveling Gau Buddhist Tibet Prayer Shrine. Chinese Tibetan bronze travel shrine box with intricate metal working on the face of the box and containing monastery artifacts. Cloth bound for protection. This is a wonderful Tibetan Gau, a prayer box or charm box. These Gau boxes are a mainstay of Tibetan culture, and they are also worn by Buddhist peoples living in other central Asian Countries. These portable shrines were made to contain a small image of the owners personal deity when traveling. They can also contain written prayers, miniature paintings, relics or special amulets, medicinal herbs that are designed to protect the individual from evil spirits when traveling. The shrine which holds the image of a Deity or Buddhist is made of copper or brass decorated with beautiful repose' work and placed in a woven bag that can be worn over the shoulder. In a Tibetan home a Gau is kept on an altar. Dimensions: 7-1/4" x 9-1/2"; weight: 1 lb. 14 oz.

Intact