Woman's Silver Lhasa-style Ga'u inset with
Turquoise & Glass
Tibet, 19th century
height: 9.5cm, width: 9.8cm
Double-square amulet boxes (ga'us) such as this one
were worn by women and were popular in and around
Lhasa. The central motif of a stylised lotus bud infilled
with turquoise chips and set among silver filigree wire is
surrounded by borders of more turquoise chips.
Triangles of red glass mark out the angles of the other
square and these two are bordered by turquoise.
The ga'u was worn suspended from the top gadrooned
tube, which shows considerable wear. The lower
decoration is a stylised dorje ornament which hangs at
the bottom when worn. Common to most such ga'us this
example has a copper backing plate which sits in the
ga'u. The copper backing for this example is a later
replacement.
Reference: a similar ga'u is illustrated in Clarke, J.,
Jewellery of Tibet and the Himalayas, V&A Publications,
2004, p. 78.
Inventory no.: 556
See 516 and 591 for other similar ga'us.
Turquoise & Glass
Tibet, 19th century
height: 9.5cm, width: 9.8cm
Double-square amulet boxes (ga'us) such as this one
were worn by women and were popular in and around
Lhasa. The central motif of a stylised lotus bud infilled
with turquoise chips and set among silver filigree wire is
surrounded by borders of more turquoise chips.
Triangles of red glass mark out the angles of the other
square and these two are bordered by turquoise.
The ga'u was worn suspended from the top gadrooned
tube, which shows considerable wear. The lower
decoration is a stylised dorje ornament which hangs at
the bottom when worn. Common to most such ga'us this
example has a copper backing plate which sits in the
ga'u. The copper backing for this example is a later
replacement.
Reference: a similar ga'u is illustrated in Clarke, J.,
Jewellery of Tibet and the Himalayas, V&A Publications,
2004, p. 78.
Inventory no.: 556
See 516 and 591 for other similar ga'us.