What is a Chosum Stand?
The Tibetan name is Chösum for the cabinets presented on this page. They were used as a butter lamp stand and as a butter sculpture stand for offerings and ritual purposes. It also housed the toma, a small sculpture used as an offering, made of tsampa. Tsampa is a staple of the Tibetan diet, composed of barley powder and yak butter. Usually once each year the High Lama will come to the practitioners house with the toma stick (see below), a long 4 sided mold for making different offerings, and make specific offerings for the family. Using the tsampa dough the High Lama would press the required amount into the carved molds on the toma stick for each specific request or need. These then will be kept for the entire year in the cabinet, taken out periodically and placed on the top of the cabinet and a little melted butter will be added for a new offering. Ornate Chösum stands like those offered here would only be found in a labrang (lama’s home).
Large Toma stick or offering mold
The Toma stick has carved molds on all 4 sides, these carvings are the Auspicious symbols, the 12 zodiac symbols, peaceful and wrathful deities and other iconic representations and offerings. The Toma stick pictured here is more than 300 years old, over 27" in length and is a very large one; usually they are about 1/3 to 1/4 this size. It developed a small check or crack that cuts through the Dharma wheel, Parasol and the Victory Banner rendering it unsuitable formaking those molds.
Click on any image below for all of the details and pictures of the Chosum stands.
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Materials: Asian cedar and spruce
Dimensions: H 31.5" W=29.62" D=15.88" measurements are approximate.
Age circa 1940
SOLD |
Materials: Asian cedar and whitewood
Dimensions: H 31.5" W=29.5" D=15.62" measurements are approximate.
Age circa 1910
SOLD SHIPPING TO PATTERSON NY JAN 2010
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Materials: Asian cedar and spruce
Dimensions: H 30.75" W=17" D=16.5" measurements are approximate.
Age circa 1870
Price $1,995.00
SOLD SHIPPING TO PALO ALTO, CA FEB-09 |
Materials: Asian cedar and spruce
Dimensions: H 30.75" W=17" D=16.5" measurements are approximate.
Age circa 1860
Price $1,895.00
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B013.05 |
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Materials: Asian cedar and spruce
Dimensions: H 30.75" W=17" D=16.5" measurements are approximate.
Age circa 1870
SOLD |
Materials: Asian cedar and spruce
Dimensions: H 30.75" W=17" D=16.5" measurements are approximate.
Age circa 1850
Price $1275.00 |
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Materials: Asian cedar and whitewood
Dimensions: H 31.5" W=29.5" D=15.62" measurements are approximate.
Age circa 1935
Price $1085.00
SOLD
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Materials: Asian cedar and spruce
Dimensions: H 31.75" W=29.62" D=15.88" measurements are approximate.
Age circa 1935
Price $1245.00
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Materials: Asian cedar and spruce
Dimensions: H 32 " W=30" D=16" measurements are approximate.
Age circa 1925
Price $1269.00
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