Tourists can buy a lot of goods in Tibet, like Tibetan costumes, turquoise, beadwork, red stone makes women fondle admiringly, as well as Tibetan medicine and tonic, cordyceps sinensis, saffron, tricholoma matsutake, snow lotus, and so on.
Tibetan Metalwork
Tibetan metalwork is a unique delectation made of Tibetan silver. Actually, Tibetan silver is just a name not really means silver. It is a kind of alloy. For Tibetan people, Tibetan silver is cupronickel. Traditional Tibetan silver has 30% silver and 70% copper, but most of the Tibetan metalwork we seen in market hardly contain silver, and they are just made of cupronickel now, because Tibetan people do not have so advanced technique and equipments. So when Tibetan people say the metalwork are made of real silver, do not doubt their integrity!
Tibetan Metalwork
The Tibetan silver metalwork is famous for it unique handcraft. Tibetan metalwork can be bracelets, necklaces and other trinkets. They are quite fine and decorated or caved with Tibetan words, which add to the metalwork a special ethnic charm. Usually, Tibetan jewelries have their own culture connotations and meanings, such as a symbol of luck, happiness, purity, and also some are believed that can drive out evil spirits
• How to choose:
1. Tibetan silver is a kind of silver with low silver content. With other metal content, Tibetan silver is much harder than other silver and people can carve patterns on it. The real Tibetan metalwork is easy to find out. Real ones are with fine patterns and can reflect luster light. False ones do not have so fine man craft and dark in color of the metal.
2. Tibetan metalwork may decorate with pure and beautiful stones. These stones are nature and transparent crystal with fine gloss. Artificial stones are dark, normal under light and not crystal.
Tibetan Knives
Tibetan knives are unique souvenirs for tourists who travel to Tibet's Lhasa. Its fine workmanship, noble decoration with distinctive Tibetan style is very attractive for tourists.
Tibetan Knives
The knives can be divided into two kinds: long knives and broadswords. The long knives are about 1m long, while the broadswords are about 10 to 40 mm long. The scabbards of the knives are made of different materials such as wood, bronze, iron or covered with silver. The scabbard usually caved with dragon, phoenix, tiger, lion, flowers or other patterns, some may dotted with jewelries and agate.
Tibetan knives can be used in working, life, self-defending and decoration. They have a history of more than 1600 years. Exquisite knives are made by skillful craftsman with delicate forging, bright color, and Tibetan language caved on the surface, and are a kind of unique Tibetan craft.
Tibetan Mask
Tibetan mask plays an essential role in traditional Tibetan culture. There are three types of masks: religion mask, Tibetan opera mask and folk dance mask. In Tibet, for every important festival, each monastery and temple will hold Tiaoshen Ceremony; they use various masks including the masks of evil spirits, Dharma Protector, immortal, animal and so on. The masks of immortal, Dharma Protector, Hayagreeva and a ghost mask called “Zan” are usually hung on the beams of the temple.
Tibetan Mask
Masks for Tibet opera are common for Tibetan people. There are blue and white masks. According to the plots of Tibetan opera, there are various masks represent different characters such as King, princesses, immortal, ghosts and so on. Tibetan opera mask has existed as long as Tibetan opera.
Tibetan masks are famous for their distinctive style with various shapes. It seems simple, unsophisticated and has a primeval beauty, which attracts tourists to Tibet. As a symbol of the intelligence and creativity of Tibetan People, Tibetan masks are very popular in Tibet and beloved by Tibetan people. The usage of masks is different from area to area in Tibet. For example, in most areas of Amdo Region, not all characters in the opera wear masks but only main characters, others may just make up with greasepaint on their face.
Representing the intelligence and creativity of Tibetan people, Tibetan masks are a bright art form in Tibet and in the ethnic art of China.
Tibetan Carpet
Tibetan Carpets are made from wool of the sheep living on Tibetan plateau. This hard wool with long fiber, good elasticity and fine surface gloss, is one of the best-quality materials for carpet. Tibetan Carpets are produced all over the Tibet, and the most famous carpets are from Lhasa and Gyantse. As a type of antique blanket, Tibet carpet has a history of over 600 years. In 1973, it entered the international market and gained good reputation in the world.
Tibetan Carpet
The weaving method of Tibetan carpet is unique. With bright color, soft surface, fine and smooth materials, the carpets are also fastness and so not drop hairs. The pictures and decorative patterns on the carpet are very beautiful and have profound Tibetan cultural characteristics.
There are three kind of carpet according to the materials. The first one is made of yakwool and wool strings. The pattern usually complicated with bright color, and the carpet is soft and light. The second one is made by fine wool strings. The pattern is simple with light color. Some of this kind of carpet also uses colorful strings to make thin carpet with various patterns. The last one is use as cushion. It made by canvas or cowhide with hairs of river deer, highland barley stalk or cured hay filled in it., which is a kind of ideal decoration for home furnishing.
Parchment Painting
Parchment Painting is a form of culture and art of Tibetan. It is formed by a complete parchment and wood. The parchment vividly draws and describes Tibetan life and culture, showing the rich fresh feeling of snow mountain and plateau and the rough and powerful Tibetan style. According to its content, it can be divided into landscape painting, figure painting, and religious painting. It is exquisite and easy to preserve, it will not fade and be out of shade which is a good home decoration to give friends as gift. Also it has collection value.
Tibetan Medicine
With a history of more than 2,000 years, Tibetan Medicine had already developed into a branch of the medical filed. According to the records, Tibetan had realized the functions of the herbs, animals and minerals on the people’s health since that time. Tibetan medicine dates back to about the 7th century AD at which time the Tibetan ruler, King Songtsen Gampo summoned his court physicians from China, India, and Iran to develop this medicinal system.
After the Eighteenth Century, the famous physician extensively collected drugs’ specimens, and compiled the Jinzhu Materia Medicine with collection contains more than two thousand species of Tibetan name of the drug. The drug form, taste and function were told was very detailed in the book.
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