Vintage white bronze mirror from Nepal with a diameter of 50 millimeters (measured without the eyelet) and a weight of 31 grams. Made from a good quality, almost silvery colored bronze which has gained some nice patina of ageing over the years. In Nepal, mirrors such as these are called 'melong'. They are traditionally often worn on the belt, instead of around the neck.
Design characteristics:
This melong shows the characters for the mantra "Om Mani Padme Hum", the most recited mantra in Tibetan Buddhism. And also one of the most ancient ones; with a (for now) first known mentioning on Tibetan script somewhere in the 5th century. This mantra invokes the boddhisattva Avalokiteshvara. It calls upon the Jewel ('Mani') in the Lotus Flower ("Padme'); the Buddha nature that is the true core essence of all people, but is often hidden deep in our heart beneath many layers. These layers are symbolised by the petals of the lotus flower (which represents the human heart), which need to be opened to be able to live fully from a heart of compassion; this is what is symbolised by the Buddha (the one who has accomplished just that) sitting on the opened lotus flower (the heart completely filled with compassion.
Read more about the origin, design and usage of (shamanic) mirrors in the general description of our webshop collection "Mirrors and Melongs".
