{"product_id":"tibetan-painted-altar-cabinet-with-later-painting","title":"Tibetan Painted Altar Cabinet With Later Painting","description":"\u003cp\u003eThis striking Tibetan altar cabinet combines a \u003cstrong\u003e19th-century hardwood structure\u003c\/strong\u003e with \u003cstrong\u003elater repainting carried out in the mid–late 20th century\u003c\/strong\u003e. The cabinet’s proportions, form, and construction are characteristic of Tibetan altar furniture of the 1800s, while the vivid blues and greens across the front panels are unmistakably \u003cstrong\u003emodern pigments\u003c\/strong\u003e. Such saturated tones do not occur in antique Tibetan mineral palettes and clearly reflect a 20th-century renovation, a practice commonly undertaken in monasteries and family homes to revitalise treasured pieces.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe decoration is executed using a \u003cstrong\u003emodern interpretation of the \u003cem\u003ekyungbur\u003c\/em\u003e technique\u003c\/strong\u003e, in which raised outlines are built up before colouring. True historic \u003cem\u003ekyungbur\u003c\/em\u003e work is layered and mineral-based, while the smooth, sharply defined relief lines seen here correspond to modern repainting rather than original 19th-century pigment work.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAcross the front panels, powerful \u003cstrong\u003edragons\u003c\/strong\u003e soar among stylised clouds, each grasping a \u003cstrong\u003echintamani\u003c\/strong\u003e, the wish-granting jewel symbolic of prosperity, protection, and auspicious fulfilment in Tibetan Buddhist art. The lower frieze features \u003cstrong\u003eKīrtimukha\u003c\/strong\u003e—the protective “Face of Glory.” In Tibetan, this guardian head is known as \u003cstrong\u003egZi pa\u003c\/strong\u003e (often transliterated Zeeba \/ Ziba \/ Zipa \/ Zipak), a self-devouring protective emblem placed above shrines, thresholds, and sacred objects throughout Tibet and the Himalayan region.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCabinets of this form became increasingly widespread in 19th-century Tibet, gradually replacing earlier trunk-like storage chests. Constructed from cedar or pine, they functioned as \u003cstrong\u003edomestic or monastic altar cupboards\u003c\/strong\u003e, used to store sacred scrolls (pecha), silk garments, jewellery, butter-lamp materials, ritual implements, and household offerings. Highly decorated pieces were often presented to monasteries as devotional gifts.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eOrigin:\u003c\/strong\u003e Tibet\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eDate:\u003c\/strong\u003e 19th-century cabinet with later (mid–late 20th century) repainting\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eMaterials:\u003c\/strong\u003e Cedar or pine; modern pigments; raised modern \u003cem\u003ekyungbur\u003c\/em\u003e-style outlines\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eFeatures:\u003c\/strong\u003e Hand-painted dragons, stylised cloud motifs, and a lower \u003cstrong\u003eKīrtimukha \/ gZi pa\u003c\/strong\u003e frieze; original 19th-century structure with later decorative layers\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eCondition:\u003c\/strong\u003e Beautifully conserved; 19th-century form with stable modern paintwork\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eDimensions:\u003c\/strong\u003e W94 × D39 × H96 cm\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eProvenance:\u003c\/strong\u003e Originally retailed by Liberty of London; purchased from a private UK collection\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eReferences:\u003c\/strong\u003e See Robert Beer, \u003cem\u003eThe Encyclopaedia of Tibetan Symbols and Motifs\u003c\/em\u003e — an essential reference for understanding Kīrtimukha (gZi pa), dragons, cloud motifs, and wider Tibetan iconography\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA bold and symbolically rich Tibetan altar cabinet that blends 19th-century craftsmanship with the vivid aesthetic of its later repainting—an evocative reflection of Tibet’s evolving devotional traditions.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"BinderKing","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":53551668691253,"sku":"M1013","price":2265.27,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1012\/5243\/2181\/files\/M1013Lifestyle.jpg?v=1789234209","url":"https:\/\/binderking.shop\/products\/tibetan-painted-altar-cabinet-with-later-painting","provider":"BinderKing","version":"1.0","type":"link"}