Votive plaque (tsa-tsas) of Aksobkya

Object Details

• Provenance

  Found in Gosum chapel, Shalu monastery, south central Tibet. [1]

  From 2001 to 2002

  Private collector, acquired from the Gosum chapel of Shalu monastery in South Central Tibet. [2]

  From 2002

  Arthur M. Sackler Gallery, gift of a private collector in 2002. [3]

  Notes:

  [1] In October 2001 the donor found the votive plaque (tsa-tsas) within rubble that had been temporarily removed from the Gosum chapel of Shalu monastery in south central Tibet.

  At that time, the monks were in the process of restoring the chapel's interior, which had been damaged after 1959. The monks had gathered together the debris, which they understood to retain a sacred charge, and were about to insert it into the base of benches lining the interior of the restored chapel. The Shalu monks gave the donor permission to take some of the debris to the United States for donation to a museum or monastery. The donor selected this tsa-tsas and offered it to the Arthur M. Sackler Gallery. See Curatorial Remark 1 in the object record. See also Provenance Remark 1 in the object record.

  [2] See note 1.

  [3] See Deed of Gift, object file, Collections Management Office.

• Collection

  National Museum of Asian Art Collection

• Previous custodian or owner

  Anonymous

• Origin

  Shalu monastery, Tibet

• Credit Line

  Anonymous gift

• Type

  Ceremonial Object

• Restrictions and Rights

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Keep Exploring

• Related Resources

  collections.si.edu

• Date

  1200s, 1000s

• Name

  Slusser, Mary Shepherd

• Place

  Shalu monastery, Tibet

• Topic

  South Asian and Himalayan Art, Art, Mandorla, Ceramics, Akshobhya Buddha, Bhumisparsha mudra

• Culture

  Buddhists, Himalayan peoples, South Asians

• Object Type

  Ceremonial objects