Description: I bought this antique Tibetan Buddhist monastery seal during one of my two visits to Lhasa, Tibet in the early 1990s. It's a silver embossed seal with an amber waist. The detailed artwork has two animals amongst multiple floral designs. The waist of the seal is in stunning amber which caught my attention when I saw it for sale in the Barkhor marketplace. The actual seal has a typical Tibetan pattern. Height: 3.5" Width: 1" Weight: 2.6 oz Seal will be sent via UPS (USPS if PO Box), insured with signature delivery. During my second trip to Lhasa on a single visa (typically it's all group visas), I was tailed by a 5 man plainclothes Chinese police team. I didn't notice them at first as they waited outside the small shops when I was inside. Two tall guys with smart gray suits and good leather shoes. The tallest guy was in charge. Then a team of three short street-savvy younger men reading newspapers. Every time I ditched them they must have been pissed. I never let on that I was aware of them. I even left my hotel before 5:00am once as that's when they came on duty traveling in an old, dusty white car. It sure was dark and cold that morning! When I eventually flew out of Lhasa, they were waiting for me at the airport. A terse woman in a Chinese military uniform with cap confiscated a number of items. She emptied my backpack and carry-on putting half of my stuff on a far table. As I didn't speak Chinese and as she didn't speak English, the only word we could agree on was "No". Fortunately, she didn't think much of this old seal. She delayed me from clearing customs until the very last minute so I had to run to catch my flight. It was a wonderful experience! Repoussé or repoussage is a metalworking technique in which a malleable metal is shaped by hammering from the reverse side to create a design in low relief. Chasing or embossing is a similar technique in which the piece is hammered on the front side, sinking the metal. The two techniques are often used in conjunction.
Price: 150 USD
Location: Carmel by the Sea, California
End Time: 2024-10-04T22:37:55.000Z
Shipping Cost: 14 USD
Product Images
Item Specifics
All returns accepted: ReturnsNotAccepted
Region of Origin: Tibet
Age: Unknown
Primary Material: Amber
Maker: Tibet
Original/Reproduction: Antique Original
Type: Seal
Color: Silver
