THOGCHAGS

"Thogchags are Tibetan talismans made of bronze and meteoric metals dating as far back as the Bronze Age, an unbroken tradition of producing amulets extends into the Iron Age and Buddhist periods creating a cultural legacy several thousand years old...These sacred objects are believed to be magically formed and not manufactured by human beings. Said to have fallen from the sky, thogchags are steeped in mystery and myth which is only now being unraveled by scholars…" John Vincent Bellezza

Thogchags were traditionally worn for protection and good luck. They were often hung around the neck or attached to clothing or they were sewn on amulet pouches or tied to religious articles. They were frequently used and displayed by healers, spirit-mediums and magicians, the so-called "shamans" of Tibet. In the pre-Buddhist Bon religion rituals to dispel evil and attract good fortune were prevalent. These practitioners of ancient Tibetan traditions had a special affinity with the equally ancient thogchags...the function of thogchags closely reflects this ancient religious preoccupation.

While I was travelling in Ladakh in 1997 I met an expat from UK who had these thogchags and asked me if i could help sell him. I took these photos.