Bone Ornament

Item number 2664/2 from the MOA: University of British Columbia.

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Description

Tibetan ritual bone ornaments are known as rus rgyan (སྣམ་བུ). It is a chest cover made of bone plaques and beads, and turquoise glass beads strung on fabric cords ending with flat copper bells. Central plaques each have Buddha images. Some cords fastened with black wax seals. Iridescent turquoise beads above shoulders of upper Buddha.

History Of Use

Ritual bone objects such as bone bead aprons, breast covers and ornaments are worn as funerary dancing clothes in Tibetan Buddhism.

Cultural Context

Ritual objects made both from human and animal bones are a distinctive feature of Tibetan tantric Buddhism. To Tibetans, bones serve as a reminder of life’s brevity and the inevitability of death. Bones have additional symbolic dimensions.