How We Describe What We Sell

Most listings for Himalayan objects tell you a story. We try to tell you what we can see. This page explains how our descriptions are written, what we deliberately leave out, and how to read a listing before you buy.

What we describe

Every listing is written from the photographs of that specific item. We describe the form, the proportions, the surface and the finish — the things a camera can record and a buyer can verify on arrival.

• Form and outline — what shape the object is, and which traditional type it belongs to.
• Measured dimensions — recorded per item rather than estimated from a photograph.
• Surface and finish — patina, polish, casting marks, inlay.
• Condition notes — wear, casting flaws, uneven patina.

What we do not claim

This is the part most listings skip, so we will be direct.

• We do not state materials unless we have confirmed them. Where a metal or a stone is unverified, the listing says "not confirmed" rather than naming one.
• We do not date objects. "Aged finish" describes how a surface looks, not how old an object is.
• We do not describe pieces as consecrated, blessed, or as producing a particular effect. Ritual context is described as cultural background, not as a property of the object you receive.
• We do not attribute objects to a workshop or a region unless the listing says so explicitly.

This makes our descriptions shorter and less exciting than some. It also means that what you read is what we can stand behind.

How the photographs are made

Photographs are taken in raking light as well as flat light, because relief and casting depth disappear under flat frontal light. Most listings include a view of the reverse, and a hand or a scale reference where size matters. If a listing does not show the back of a piece, ask — we will send one.

Why we write reference guides

We publish identification guides — how to tell a phurba from a vajra, how to tell eleven figures apart, how the object forms compare — because most of the difficulty in this category is recognising what you are looking at. The guides are written from the objects themselves, not from doctrine.

They are also the reason our listings can stay brief: the context lives in the guide, and the listing stays with the object.

What you should ask before buying

1. Dimensions, if the listing does not record them.
2. The reverse, if it is not photographed.
3. Material confirmation, if the listing says "not confirmed" and it matters to you.
4. Shipping and import charges — see our Shipping Policy. Import duties and local taxes are not included and are the recipient's responsibility.

Where to start

If you are new to the category, the comparison reference sets the main object forms side by side, and the deity identification guide covers eleven figures. If you already know what you are looking for, the shop is organised by form.