Wearing the World Glimpses of the Cultural History of Turquoises in Tibet

The cultural history of Tibet is unthinkable without gems and fineries, not least as they found expression in the dress codes and wearables. Silk, brocade and precious gems can boast a long history in Tibet. Among the gems, the magic symbolism exerted by the turquoise ensured that it remained ubiquitous to most Tibetans throughout the ages. This small book attempts to tell the story of the turquoise stone in Tibetan culture. Historical documents are replete with accounts that record such precious stones, not least witnessed when being paraded in a variety of ritual ceremonies and secular pageants, all staged on a major scale right from the early Middle Ages onwards. They culminated during the annual ceremonies of the Ganden Phodrang government in Lhasa. The role held by the turquoise is highlighted in the celebrated Rinchen Gyencha or “Precious Ornaments” pageant and the Gyaluché or “Princely Attire” spectacle performed during the New Year festivities. These ceremonies conceal a longer narrative which lays bare the origin of the turquoise or, more precisely, its erstwhile introduction to Tibetan society and civilization as a treasured commodity at the dawn of recorded historiy in Tibet.