Conch shell chest ornament: Tonka (Wylie thong ga) ཐོང་ག Mid 19th century

A conch shell waistcoat made of four carved pieces of conch shell, one damaged, each with a brass button in the centre. Approx 85 mm across. Tongka.

The material is owned by Meme Chettan Dorje and has been handed down from father to son through several generations of head Buchen. All the materials in the archive are kept within the prayer room of the house. This was not seen: materials were brought out into the living room to be surveyed and documented.