Painted Tibetan Altar Cabinet - Early 19th Century Material - Mango Wood A teakwood temple collection box

A teakwood temple collection box covered with brass sheet

painted chests like this served both practical and devotional roles: secure storage for textiles and garments

A similar example can be found in "Chinese Furniture: A guide to collecting antiques" by Mazurkewich - Fig

charity and innocence

The central pūrṇa-kalaśa (full water vessel) is a welcome inviting prosperity

Painted Tibetan Altar Cabinet - Early 19th Century Material - Mango Wood A teakwood temple collection boxThis antique Tibetan altar cabinet is polychromed with dragons among the clouds decorating each of its four doors. This cabinet is a classic example of an early 19th century Tibetan altar cabinet. As can be seen in the final photo, when it arrived at our workshops it was covered in many thick layers of soot and ghee (yak butter). Our team painstakingly restored this elegant piece in our Wiltshire workshops revealing the beautiful painting underneath.