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Images of Earth and Water: The Tsa-Tsa Votive Tablets of Tibet

by Juan Li

Text and images © Juan Li and Asian Arts: not to be reproduced without permission

Examples of Tsa-Tsas

Left to right
Fired and painted image of Tara. This type of tsa-tsa is placed in an altar, or carried within a travelling reliquary. From a central Tibetan pilgrim.

Large tsa-tsa about 7.5 inches (19 cm) of the Buddha and pantheon. Collected in Nepal.

Left to right
This tsa-tsa was presented as a token of a visit to a great lama. Tibet.

Unfired tsa-tsa from Ladakh. It has been splashed with yellow color as a general consecration as it was deposited within a stupa.

Standing Padmapani in a tsa-tsa from Ladakh.

Left to right
Lightly fired Tara from central Tibet.

Unfired tsa-tsa from central Tibet.

Eleven-headed Avalokitesvara from the Shigatse area in Tibet. This type of tsa-tsa was sometimes produced in large quantities and used to tile a whole monastery wall.

Left to right
The Dukhang porch of Alchi in Ladakh with painted tsa-tsa glued to the wall.

An example in a very ancient style. Since the molds are easy to transport images from the same mould may be found across vast distances. From Shey in Ladakh (Return to Photo)

Very small image of Tsongkapa from Ladakh

Left to right
Stupa with inscription from Ladakh.

A very early style found within a collapsed stupa in Ladakh. Notice the relief is very shallow.

Two early examples from Ladakh

Left to right
Maitreya Buddha in a very high relief from Ladakh.

The Mahasiddha Naropa in a fired and painted tsa-tsa.


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