Tsa-tsas

Tsa-tsas are a form of Buddhist art that has flourished for centuries across the Tibetan Plateau, throughout the Himalayas, and beyond, as far as Mongolia. Tsa-tsas are made of stamped clay and are iconographic forms of various Buddhas and Bodhisattvas as well as inscribed mantras. Tsa-tsas come in different sizes: small enough to fit into a gao, or charm box, to be worn for protection; or larger, to be left in a sacred area in the memory of a loved one. Stamping tsa-tsas from clay is considered a meritorious act. Conical shaped tsa-tsas often contain human remains, collected after a funeral, and are also left in holy spots.