Antique Tibetan 'Melong'; brass and bronze; 18th c. 18th c Tibetan 'Melong' with Presence and evidence of much ritual use by Bon priests and shamans. The 'melong' is a symbolic concave mirror with which the shaman accesses inner purity and communication with beneficent entities for the purpose of healing and prognostication; brass with a bronze clasp. An old story: Alexander the Great, rampaging through Asia 2500 years ago, was nearing the borders with India when his scouts brought him an Indian ascetic who, having little more than a loin cloth and a begging bowl, nevertheless seemed wonderfully content. Alexander, who had everything except content, enquired of this fakir the source of his happiness. The holy man presented Alexander with a mirror. It's hard to grasp the magic of this piece without holding it in your hand and running your fingers over it. SOLD