An introduction to painted Tibetan furniture

Much has been written about the art of this mysterious land. The great bronzes, the Thanka painting and the temple murals are all well documented. It is surprising therefore to find no more than a few lines written about their very distinctive painted furniture.
In putting this brief introduction to Tibetan furniture together , I have drawn invaluable help from Robert Beer’s “ Handbook of Tibetan Buddhist Symbols” , and from my friends Kesang Dorjee in Katmandu, and Edward Lee in Beijing.
Furniture first appeared in Tibet in the mid 14thC . Prior to that religious ritual were done at floor level. It is in painting from the 14th C that we first see the development of furniture in Tibet.

In essence there are six forms of Tibetan furniture, Gaam, Chhagam, Pegaam, Thorgam, Yanaam, and Chogtse . They were produced within monasteries or presented to Monasteries by devotees looking to attain merit.
1. Gaam ( chest or Box , ) Specifically these were used to store things that were not in every day use .The earliest examples were made in thick leather, sometimes on a wooden frame. Later versions were made of Cedar or pine ,they were usually lined in simple trade cotton They have arrow headed metal fittings on the corners and sides to strengthen the chest and were kept in storerooms to help preserve Thankas , brocades and ritual costume used in Cham dances on auspicious days .
Gaam are the earliest forms of Tibetan furniture, some dating from as early as the 14th century. Models from the 17th and 18th C have a similar theme in their design, that of a dragon emblem superimposed on a geometrically drawn background, not dissimilar in design to the fashionable Chinese brocades of the day.
One early Gaam design that is being much copied in both Tibet and Nepal is the Dzong. With a simple lift top, and sloping sides, its design is said to have derived from the Potola palace in Lhasa, the seat of the Dalai Lama.

2 Chhagam (cabinet) mostly rectangular and fairly narrow,
very often divided by a shelf, and having 2 sets of cupboard doors. Hinging is invariably by means of two pegs top and bottom that fit in to holes in the frame of the cabinet. Almost always with a painted front, and usually with plain paneled sides. The frame and panels are usually held in place by a series of pegged joints ..
Cabinets date from the 18th C and later. They become more fashionable as a means of storage than the Gaam, and allowed for easier and greater access from the front.
Chhagam were sometimes made in pairs to be butted up against each other, this explains why we sometimes see a cabinet with painting on one side panel and not the other. They were used to store anything from food, manuscripts and religious objects.
The decoration can be a mixture of tantric symbols, and bright bold floral designs. Cabinets from the Kham region of Eastern Tibet tend to be the brightest .This may reflect their remoteness from Lhasa, thus allowing them a little freedom from the constraints of religious iconography very evident in furniture from the capital.

Shrine cabinets, are open fronted cabinets arranged in a series of arched niches, normally in two of three rows, with the larger Niches being on the lower shelf. With no visible sign of wall fixing, it must be assumed that these shrines sat on another piece of furniture.
3. Pegam. From Pecha (a religious book) and Gaam (box)
A style of furniture peculiar to Tibet, the Pegam looks like a small cabinet with a painted front, usually with two cupboard doors. The top surface of the cabinet is enclosed by a small rim at the front, and by a painted backboard, loosely in the form of a niche. A pair of curved spandrels join the backboard to the rim at the front.
The Pegam was used for storing long loose leafed Tibetan manuscripts, which would have been placed on the enclosed upper surface to be read.

4. Thorgam The most dramatic of any Tibetan furniture.
The thorgam is a cabinet used for storing ritual implements and the “Torma”, flour and butter sculptures used in place of animal sacrifice when making offerings to Mahakala and other wrathful deities,
The standard form is a cupboard with a single pair of painted doors, usually depicting Mahakala,(The protector of the religion, a demon with Bulging eyes and green scaly skin) surrounded by horrific offerings of flayed skins, human skulls, and wild animals, along with Citipati the lord of the funeral pile, who is depicted as two dancing skeletons, and symbolizes ultimate enlightenment and renouncement of all thing worldly .

5 Yangam. From Yang (luck) Gaam (box) literally. Lucky box In the same form as a Thorgam , a cupboard with a single pair of painted doors .Yangams have very much more peaceful decoration that the thorgam, and are used to store precious family items , wealth vases and other ritual items with which to evoke peaceful deities.
Tibetans believe that their good luck is contained in the Yangam and that if the doors are opened more than once a year, their good luck and prosperity will escape.

Thorgams and Yangams would have been found in Tibetan monasteries, and the shrine rooms of wealthy Tibetan households. All rituals concerning the use of both Thorgam and Yangam would have been preformed by a Lama.
On a rare occasion it is possible to see a combination cabinet where the Yangam and Thorgam sit one on top off each other; these are most likely to have come from private houses.

6 Chogtse (table or platform) By far and a way the most varied form of Tibetan furniture. , covering a variety of household and ritual uses.
Typical of one type, is a 4sided box with no back or base. Usually four planks of wood joined by simple dovetailing, the sides and top were normally plainly painted, while the front is variously painted with Buddhist symbolism or simple geometric design.
.Very often the painted front has a skirt in the form of a stylized lotus leaf. In the earlier 17th and 18th Century pieces, this lotus design is often carved in to the wooden surface, and then painted. In later 18th and 19th C models the front and sides of the Chogtse are made up of a series of smaller painted panels, with a painted lotus skirt. The use of paneling in later pieces may be the result of a growing shortage of large planks of wood, or simply a development in style.
These Chogtse were small altar fronts used in ritual .They are often seen in small groups surrounding a seated Lama.
On other occasions they seem to serve no more purpose than that of a simple table behind which monks are seated while taking an audience with the Lama. The open back, allowing closer access to the table from the person sat behind it .

Another type of Chogtse , this time lower longer and again backless, is perhaps more shelf than table , and was used in storage rooms to keep leather and wooden Gaam off the ground. This type of Chogtse very often has no side paneling. Its open design will have helped to ensure a flow of air around precious goods that were stored above. .

Then there are a series of folding 3 sided tables .The portable nature of Tibetans. They were a useful piece of furniture for a monk or lama, and any one else making a journey. Multi functional, they were worship, work, and meal time rolled in to one. Typically the painted front depicts a lotus design.

There are a series of Chogtse that are highly carved , depicting animals such as , deer and snow leopards .The Dalai Lama’s throne in the Norbulingka is of this type,.a fabulous piece of carving depicting a pair of deer either side of the Wheel of the law. It is common for these very ornate Chogtse to be gilded. Harder woods are used for these tables, such as Walnut and imported mahogany.

The decoration of Tibetan furniture is a mixture of Tantric symbolism, bright floral design, and the use of landscape and narrative painting as a means of conveying myths, folk tales and scenes from everyday life.

SYMBOLISM IN TIBETAN FURNITURE

The eight most important symbols to be found on Tibetan furniture are

A The conch shell.
The conch horn, sounds in all directions, as do the teachings of the Buddha. The conch is seen as a vehicle fearlessly proclaiming the truth of the dharma in all directions. It is also seen as an emblem of power and authority and is thought to banish evil.

B The lotus
An important Buddhist motif, most images of the Buddha and other important deities are seen seated on a lotus throne. The growth of the lotus, its roots in mud, growing through water, and emerging as a wonderful plant above the waters surface, are seen as analogies of the soul’s path from the mud of materialism, to the air of enlightenment.

C. The wheel.
In three parts, the wheel exists as a hub, the centre of the world, with 8 spokes, denoting the 8 paths to enlightenment, the rim represent the element of limitation. All contained within a circle, which is perceived of as perfect and complete, like the teachings of the Buddha.

.D The parasol.
The shade symbolizes wisdom and the hanging skirt compassion. It is a symbol of protection, from the painful heat of suffering and desire.. Occasionally an 8 sided parasol is seen, this extra element relates to the eightfold path to enlightenment.

E The endless knot.
With no beginning and no end, the endless knot symbolizes the infinite wisdom of the Buddha .Also indicating that all things and actions are linked by cause and effect.

F The pair of golden fish.
Having complete freedom in water , fish represent happiness, fertility and abundance On a spiritual level they represent the abundance of the Buddha’s energy , never diminishing, no matter how much of it he gave away.

G. The Victory banner.
An early Buddhist motif meaning the enlightenment of the Buddha, and the triumph of knowledge over ignorance. Also used to recall the Buddha’s triumph over his temptress Mara.

H; The treasure vase
In many cultures there is the a recurring idea of an inexhaustible vessel .In spiritual terms this represents the inexhaustible spirit that the Buddha possess .

In addition to these 8 primary symbols, there are many others that are encountered in Tibetan furniture, a few regularly occurring ones are listed below, along with a selection of real and mythical animals that are regularly present. The precise meaning of some of the symbols is open to interpretation, so I have tried to be as brief as I can.

1 The snow lion. . The national emblem of Tibet, the white snow lion with his turquoise mane, is often seen in pairs, playing with a tri colored ball He represents the earth element, fearlessness and victory.
2 The dragon .Unlike its demonic European counter part, the Tibetan dragon is a creature of great creative power, it has the ability to change size at will, at one time covering the skies, another time being invisible. .At the spring equinox it ascends to the sky, where it remains until the autumn equinox when it descends to a deep pool, living in mud for the winter.
It is symbol of heaven and the power of spring.
Accompanying the dragon is the elusive flaming pearl. Pair of dragons are often seen fighting over it, chasing it across the sky...
3 Garuda A sworn enemy of Nagas and snakes, it represents the fire element, and is lord of the skies. He is very often seen with a serpent clutched between his talons and beak.
4 The Tiger. In both Chinese and Tibetan medicine, various parts of the tiger are thought to possess powerful properties. He is the symbol of strength, fearlessness and military power. The flayed skin, is often used as a seat, or worn into battle.
In Tibetan Buddhism the tiger is ridden by many deities, particularly those of a warlike nature. The riding of a tiger symbolizes the fearlessness of the deity.

5 The white elephant is a symbol of the strength of the mind It serves as a symbol of the calm and tranquility.possesed by those on the path.to enlightenment. Specifically, he embodies the boundless powers of the Buddha .
6 Deer . Usually seen in pairs, they represent the first teaching given by the Buddha in the great deer park of Sarnath.
They are often seen with the Buddhist emblem of the golden eight spoked wheel. The deer rest peacefully in attendance each side of the wheel. The relaxed attitude of the deer conveys the meditative qualities of Buddhism.
7 The mongoose. Another traditional enemy of Nagas and snakes, (both treasure guardians).The mongoose is usually seen spitting out coloured jewels. The symbol has it’s origin in the central Asian custom of using a mongoose skin as a money bag.

8. The Garuda lion is one of three victorious creatures of harmony . A bonding between Garuda, lord of the skies, and the lion ,lord of the earth. Their unification symbolizes heaven and earth in victory.
9. Kirtimukha or Zepac. This grotesque symbol is usually seen painted along the top of Thorgam doors. It is the beast of greed , and is there to caution against indulgence. It is the result of a demon devouring itself until just the head and hands were left. Usually depicted as a horned face with a bridle in its mouth.
10. The three jewels. representing the three jewels of Buddhist teaching, Body Speech and Mind.
11 The skull cup. Made from the top section of the skull, and filled with anything from alcohol, cakes, blood and other vital nectars. Gross as it may seem, it is viewed as a cup of wisdom for many wrathful deities.
12.Skull garlands . Again most often encountered on the doors of Thorgam, a garland of skull is a symbol of emptiness and associated with female deities.
13. The wrathful offering to the five senses .(Touch, Sight , Smell Sound ,Taste) This symbol is multi facetted , it consists of a skull and scalp, in to which are place a pair of disgorged eyes, a torn out heart ,, a tongue , a pair of ears , and a nose .
Collectively this represents the consciousness of the being seeking rebirth. It is through these senses that rebirth will be experienced.
14 The wheel of joy. Similar in style to the Chinese yin-yang, but with three or four segments. When showing three sections the wheel relates to the three jewels (10). When divided in to four sections the symbolism relates to the four noble truths.
15. The Vajra (The hard or mighty one) In Buddhism this symbol relates to the rock hard state of reality that is the enlightenment of Buddhism. The Vajra comes in many forms, both wrathful and peaceful.
16.The precious queens earrings. The heavy earrings are taken as a symbol of comprehension of the Buddha’s teachings. The weight of the earrings would have caused the wearers earlobes to elongate. . The long earlobes of the Buddha are a symbol of his detachment from all things earthly.
17. the precious kings earrings. As above.
18. Tridents. This symbol comes in many different forms, but the basic meaning relates to the three main aspects of the Buddha’s teachings .Meditation, Wisdom, and Ethics.
19 Elephants tusks. The symbol of the white elephant.
20. Skull &Skeleton clubs. They are a symbol of the utter emptiness of all phenomena.And a terrifying weapon with which to ward off demons.

21. The moon represents the male aspect of compassion.
22. The sun represents the female aspect of compassion .
23. Silk ribbons. Different colors are used in different types of ritual and have different meanings. White denoting calm. Red, subjugation. Yellow, to increase prosperity.
24 The mirror, is a symbol of emptiness, and pure consciousness. Clear and bright it reflects all images but remains unaffected by those images. Its function is to enable you to see yourself clearly.
25. The swastika . One of the most ancient and universal symbols generally conveying good luck and good fortune. In Buddhism the swastika symbolizes the earth and its indestructible durability .In furniture this symbol is often found in conjunction with the endless knot design, in boarders framing other painting.

Early Tibetan furniture without extensive restoration or repainting is becoming harder to find.There is a lot of new tibetan furniture on the market being sold as old , so as a buyer ,beware .

It is worth remembering that if you come across a piece that has a lot going for it , and seem inexpensive , then ,chances are it is not quite what it seems to be .

Since writing this brief introduction, there has been the first major museum exhibition of Tibetan painted furniture.

"Wooden Wonders" at the Asia Pacific Museum,.Pasadena, is every thing that the title suggests.The accompaning catalogue is a must have for collectors of Tibetan furniture.