Pillar Hanging

Brocade decorations like these are made to hang on square pillars as adornments in Tibetan Buddhist sacred spaces. They can vary in size but usually contain several customary colors such as red, blue, green, yellow, and white. Not all five colors are always represented, and the patrons who commission these objects can direct what kind of brocade to use and how elaborate it should be. The edge of the upper part of the hanging is usually shaped as a trilobed arch. Here the upper part is made of a different brocade and has a plaque featuring a dragon. Sometimes the plaque can show a mythical bird (garuda) or the face of glory (kirtimukha), but traditionally Tibetan pillar decorations feature dragons. In these hangings the upper part also contains a thin piece of plywood, cut into shape and sewn into the brocade, to ensure the hanging is flush with a pillar and can hang securely.