Tibetan or Bhutan Leather & Brass Religious Offering Bowl Case

This case comprising a light wood substrate, over which thin black leather has been applied, with the lot being strengthened and held in place with engraved brass mounts and struts, was designed to hold a religious offering box, probably made of silver and gold. The box has pairs of lugs on each side to allow it to be strapped securely and transported, perhaps for a travelling monk.

The two halves of the box are held together on one side by brass hinges.

The interior of the box is lined with red-dyed cotton fabric. The wood used is likely to be a species of Himalayan pine.

The type of vessel housed in this box is likely to have been an offering vessel known as a drubphor (sgrub phor) – comprises a bowl and a founded cover topped by a vajra finial. These were used in Bhutan and Tibet for example by travelling monks as a part of their rituals. See an example in Schicklgruber & Pommaret (1997, p. 152).

The box has excellent patina and obvious age.