Buddhist ritual crown or diadem
silk brocade and velvet on a bamboo armature
7 1/2 x 4 1/2 inches
Tibet
17th century or earlier (Ming Dynasty)
provenance: Christie's South Kensington, 2004
Inv. no. 47
A five-pointed ritual diadem with a lobed panel for each of the Five Colors of yellow, blue, white, green, and red; and more specifically consisting of four panels of silk brocade variously woven with dragons, paired fish, and gourds, and a central panel of ivory silk velvet woven with salmon-pink lotus flowers.
