Tibetan Women's Jewelry - by Lynn Levenberg (Hardcover)

Book Synopsis

Tibetan Women's Jewelry describes the cultural history of Central Tibet told through traditional jewelry and trade from the 17th century of the 5th Dalai Lama through the 14th Dalai Lama's 1959 exile to India.

Tibetan Women's Jewelry describes the cultural history of Central Tibet told through traditional jewelry and trade from the 17th century of the 5th Dalai Lama through the 14th Dalai Lama's 1959 exile to India. This art book presents 10 distinctive styles of women's relic boxes (Gaus), plus headdresses, ear pendants, shoulder chatelaines, and waist ornaments. The author's fascinating interviews with the last living Lhasa noblewomen and master goldsmiths reveal the original names of pieces and how and when these beautiful treasures were worn. This innovative study establishes for the first time that jewelry styles changed with each Dalai Lama, setting an important dating precedent for all Tibetan collectibles. Meticulous research makes this the definitive scholarly publication on Tibetan jewelry.

About the Author

Lynn Levenberg, President of Lynn Levenberg Ltd., New York (US), specializes in Tibetan, Nepalese, Bhutanese, Ladakhi, and Mongolian jewelry. Her Bachelor's and Master's degrees in English literature are from Columbia University (US). From 1991 to 2014, she chose and extensively researched every piece in the large Barbara & David Kipper jewelry collection. Lynn Levenberg's 30 years of research on Buddhist jewelry have made her the only knowledgeable expert in this field.