Crowns or headdresses like this example are used in Tibetan Buddhist rituals. They are worn by young men during initiation ceremonies when they are accepted as monks in a Tibetan monastery, or during ritual chanting or monastic ritual dances. The five skulls act as reminders of the transience of human life and emphasize the teaching that a Buddhist must transcend fear of death and attachment to life in order to escape the cycle of reincarnation.

Adapted from

• Label text, Anne Bromberg, 2006.

• Asian Art Museum
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