Group of 17 Tibetan bone apron ornaments

Tibet

16th–19th century

Bone (likely buffalo)

Minneapolis Institute of Art

Seventeen carved bone ornaments are arranged on a red background. The ornaments vary in shape and feature intricate designs, including floral motifs, faces, and abstract patterns. Seventeen carved bone ornaments are arranged on a red background. The ornaments vary in shape and feature intricate designs, including floral motifs, faces, and abstract patterns. This assortment of bone ornaments would have served as plaques within an elaborate Ritual Apron (Rugya), with the diamond-shaped plaques--delicately carved with auspicious symbols, and abstracted floral motifs—which would have joined together a network of double-stranded beads, held by a belt, with the oblong-plaques, carved with kirttimukha (face of glory) motifs, suspended at the bottom. They would have been part of an elaborate ‘dancing’ ensemble of bon