Tibetan Gao or Prayer Box with Cloth Cover

Dragons coiled on silver, and a red cord tied in a bow.

Tibetan makers created this gao, or prayer box, in cloth, copper and silver in the mid to late 19th century. Gao are commonly worn as portable shrines, usually carried on a cord and holding a small image. The arched front is covered with silver repousse, showing two dragons, a lotus above, and bands of beaded edging. A bright red cord is wrapped around the box and tied in a knot. The copper back is warm brown, and the silver has aged to gray.

About five inches tall. Dense, glittering, and easy to set on a shelf.