A set of antique Tibetan belt pendants. Made with leather straps and brocade, belt pendants are attached to the belts of Tibetan women and hang in front or towards the side of the body in front of the chuba (traditional Tibetan women’s dress). Sometimes in addition to the belt pendants, there are intricately designed silver chains that attach to the pendants and form loops that hang down from these pendants. These leather and brocade straps have ornamental metal (silver, gold, bronze and brass) attached to the bottom of the strap that are generally highly detailed and studied with precious and semi precious stones. The two pendants featured here are vastly different from each other in terms of shape, choice of materials and design: One shaped like a teardrop and the other like a trident, made with silver, gilt copper and ornamented with semi precious stones - turquoise and coral. Made in the 19th Century, antique belt pendants such as these are rare to come by-though the “mechak” -flint pouches also used as a belt ornament is highly popular.
