A serene seated figure of Amitayus, the Buddha of Infinite Life, is enshrined behind the glass window at the center of the ga'u (amulet box or portable shrine). For the Buddhist practitioner, all the elements of the ga'u, from the shape of the box to the emblems that adorn it, create a transportable focus for meditation upon the yidam or guiding deity (Matilsky, p. 24 and Reynolds, 1999, pp. 58, 59). This portability, so important for a historically nomadic people, takes on added resonance in light of the Tibetan diaspora. Like portable thangkas or scroll paintings, it is designed for travel, and it has now journeyed much farther than its maker likely ever dreamed.
Amitayus sits in meditation, his legs crossed easily in full lotus position, his hands resting in his lap and holding the golden vase of the Elixer of Life. The simple lines and smooth curves of his form create a sense of strong and peaceful poise, in contrast with the intricate interlocking metalwork that surrounds him (Matilsky, p.24). His ornamentation with large earrings, necklaces, and armbands is similar to that in his portrayal in a fifteenth century thangka painting, "The Paradise of Amitayus", in the Newark Museum collection. (See image 1)
The window within which he sits is in the shape of a traditional Tibetan Buddist shrine, a pointed two-tiered arch, echoing the shape of the object. It is surrounded by an elaborate field of silver four-petaled flowers, leaves and vines, curving to encircle nine inset ovals of brass. The oval immediately over the deity's head contains the Buddhist emblem of the triple-eyed gem, a symbol of the three jewels of Buddha, dharma and sangha. The other ovals contain simple representations of the Eight Auspicious Symbols: a parasol, a pair of golden fish, a treasure vase, a lotus, a right-spiraling conch, an endless knot, a victory banner, and a wheel or cakra. Originally a grouping of early Indian symbols of royalty, they represent the offerings made by the gods to Shakyamuni Buddha immediately after he attained enlightenment. (Beer, pp.171-192).
Below the figure, also in brass, is a Tibetan talisman known as a monster mask or tsipa. The ga'u therefore provides not only a portable form of the yidam but protection for the deity and his bearer as well. The specific sub-styles of the mask, the scrollwork and the endless knot are all consistent with metalwork from the region of eastern Tibet (Clarke, pp.286, 287).
The box itself is about two inches deep, and the sides are made of a smooth, unornamented deep reddish-brown, almost mahogany-colored brass. Its hollow enclosure may have held mantras, written texts, personal religious images, relics, or other sacred objects (Reynolds, 1999, pp. 58, 59 and 75). (See image 2 ) Affixed to each side with two strips of metal is a strap of fairly coarse cloth of light turquoise-blue, orange, and cream thread, with frayed, unwoven colored string at both ends. The well-worn strap and faded colors suggest the object was beloved and much used. The strap was worn across the chest, securing the ga'u at or just above the waist. (See image 3 ) In addition to its ritual and meditational function, the box with the special symbols adorning it and the relics it contained were believed to protect the wearer from harm on his journey.
When not being used for travel, the ga'u would have been placed on the household altar. There it may have served a similar function as the brass or wooden shrines for daily home worship within the Hindu tradition. According to Pika Ghosh in Cooking for the Gods, "A home shrine offers divinity a shelter within the household and the family a doorway to the divine." (p. 41) The home altar for a Tibetan noble family was usually in a large upper room set aside as a chapel. The Newark Museum collection includes a silver and gilt repousse ga'u, commissioned for a noble family, that may have resided in such a chapel and which would not have been easily portable due to its larger size. However, even for families who owned large homes and were not in any strict sense nomadic, portable home and ritual objects were necessary; tents were still employed for living and entertaining at festivals, during pilgrimages, or when moving between Llasa and country estates. It is worth noting that, as an object that is part of what Valrae Reynolds refers to as "popular" or lay Buddhist practice, a ga'u would not traditionally have been found on a public altar in Tibet, such as the one being suggested in the Ackland Art Museum's display. (Reynolds, 1999, pp. 55 - 57 and 93 - 96)
Lesley Duggins Williams