{"product_id":"antique-mahakala-torgam-cabinet","title":"Painted Tibetan Mahakala Torgam Cabinet - 18thC","description":"\u003cp\u003eThis beautiful Buddhist altar cabinet is painted with the wrathful deity of Mahakala. Mahakala was a fearsome Tibetan Buddhist deity identifiable by his three eyes and flaming eyebrows and beard. He could also be used to assist a journey to enlightenment through meditation by helping practitioners overcome spiritual obstacles and negative emotions. With specific offerings, he would protect a family or village.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eMahakala is framed by two eight severed heads. These represent the severance of the eight 'earthly dharmas' - gain and loss, pleasure and pain, praise and blame, fame and ignominy. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eEither side of the cupboard is decorated with old faded thangkas and the interior has a large centerpiece Buddha thangka, all dating to the early 20\u003csup\u003eth\u003c\/sup\u003e century. The cabinet shows signs of repainting in the 19\u003csup\u003eth\u003c\/sup\u003e century with some late 20\u003csup\u003eth\u003c\/sup\u003e century repairs to the legs. The cabinet itself dates to the 18\u003csup\u003eth\u003c\/sup\u003e century. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis is one of the most naive examples of Tibetan torgam we've seen. Torgams (or torkham as they were sometime called) were used for the storage of torma. \u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eSmaller \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003etorgam\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e like this would have been privately owned and used to house \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003etorma\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e, offering sculptures made from butter and barley flour. Torma offerings were most commonly made during Losar celebrations at Tibetan New Year. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOriginal antique Tibetan cabinets are now very rare and there are many reproduction pieces made in China coming onto the market.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eA similar example can be found in Auspicious by Design by Corona (Plate 73)\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eDimensions:\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e59 x 27 x 89 cm ( wxdxh cms)\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFrom Tibet\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003cstrong\u003eUK Delivery Charge - except Highlands \u0026amp; Islands £40\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e More delivery options available at checkout\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"BinderKing","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":53551573565749,"sku":"M430","price":2450.19,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1012\/5243\/2181\/files\/M430.jpg?v=1789233756","url":"https:\/\/binderking.shop\/products\/antique-mahakala-torgam-cabinet","provider":"BinderKing","version":"1.0","type":"link"}