Tibetan Lotus Offering Bowl

A lotus bud, with its petals folded closed and its lid on.

Tibetan makers carved this lotus offering bowl in crystal in the 20th century. The lotus is commonly associated with purity in Buddhist imagery, and lotus forms often appear in offering vessels. The base is a ring of overlapping petals, with a domed top lid of more petals and a small stalk-shaped knob. The crystal is pale and cloudy with a faint honey tint, and the carving is soft and rounded rather than sharp.

About two inches tall and three wide. A small thing to hold in the hand and turn to the light.