Tibetan Buddhist Protective Amulet
A Gau (also spelled Ghau or Gao) is a Tibetan Buddhist amulet container or prayer box. It is most often made of metal and worn as jewelry.
Do not intimidated by the face on the box, that is the god Mahākāla. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mahakala)
This box is worn for protection from evil spirits.
There is a folded up scroll of sacred mantras inside the box. For now, I won’t able to tell you anything about it because I can not read tibetan language. Will keep you informed on everything I learn.
As an item of Tibetan jewelry which functions as a personal shrine, its usually worn around the neck and over the heart like a medallion, and fastened by a ribbon, thong, chain, or necklace to two small handles at its sides. Bronze or silver are common material for these boxes. A box will often adorn and intricate front of repousse work with auspicious symbols. As a hand-held objects the amulet-box is an attribute of two-armed Yellow Ganapati.
~ “The Handbook of Tibetan Buddhist Symbols” Page 203
