Tibetan Gao or Prayer Box

Eight auspicious symbols around a single painted face.

Tibetan makers created this round gao, or prayer box, in the 19th century, using copper, cotton and silver. Gao are commonly worn as portable shrines to carry an image for protection. In the center is a small framed painting of a golden seated figure. Around it, silver symbols in relief, including a conch, a vase, a knot and a lotus, are commonly seen as the eight auspicious symbols. A beaded rim surrounds it. The silver is a mellow gray, with age and wear.

About four inches across. Beautiful from every angle, even sideways.