Tibetan Astrological Melong Pendant

This cast brass pendant is a polished mirror or melong on one side, and an astrological or calendar talisman arranged in a mandala on the other. It has good patina – the contours are smoothed form handing and age.

The astrological part is based on Chinese astrological concepts. An inner circle has nine magic numbers. This is surrounded by petals filled with eight trigram motifs each representing the eight cardinal and intermediate directions, and an outer border representing the twelve animals representing the twelve months. All this is surrounded by cloud-like scrolling and then a ‘pearled’ edge.

Mirrors have special meaning in Tibetan Buddhism, although they seem to have their origins in the Bon religion that predates Tibetan Buddhism.

Ritually, they symbolise the voidness of the world and the emptiness of substances. Such mirrors were used ritually, often by oracles, and also worn as chest pieces, perhaps to repel evil. Examples of sets of mirrors that appear to have been worn by Tibetan soldiers are known. These seem to have served a talismanic, protective function. Polished metal mirrors also were hung above doors in temples and monasteries, again as protective devices.

A stupa-like loop at the top permits suspension, and this has a great deal of age and wear.

Reproductions of this type of amulet abound but this example has much wear particularly to the suspension loop area. It is a fine example, and larger than most. Currently, it has a later red silk cord attached to allow it to be worn.