Mongolian Silver Framed Buddhist Amulet Pendant with Painted Tsakli of Manjushri

This small framed case comprises a silver and silvered metal frame with a glass front and a sliding sheet brass panel on the reverse. The top of the frame is fitted with two loops to allow the frame to be suspended from a chain worn around the neck. Inside is a small image painted in ground mineral pigments on cotton of Manjushri, a bodhisatva associated with wisdom and literature.

The reverse of the painting is marked in red ink with Mongolian script.

Such small talismanic images are known as a tsakli in Tibetan but a sakhius in Mongolian.

Enclosed in the case, behind the painted cotton image, are several pieces of old, hand-made paper, one stamped with a chorten, a card with some Tibetan script and a textile package.

Two similar amulet cases with frames are illustrated in Geoffroy-Schneiter (2011, p. 167).

The item here is in excellent condition. The painted picture is clear and well-preserved.