CIRCA: 1800’s, 2nd half
Tibetan dance collars or ‘cloud collars’ were worn by Buddhists lamas during ceremonial dances where it opens and flows as the dancer moves and spins around. The name derives from the cloud-like shapes in the design, which represented a gate in the sky, with a deity in the center, and the four corners are the Four Directions. It is from the second half of the 1800’s / 19th century and the exterior is made of silk with the cloud design appliqued on (note the ‘lucky’ bats and the unusual rendering of the ‘shou-like’ symbol with both the luck bestowing swastika and the sauwastika, or reverse swastika, in the design) while the interior is a plain weave (close-up above). Size is approximately 75cm x 75cm, it is in very good condition for its age, and comes from a reputable collection.