205. THREE BRONZE TSATSA MOULDS Tibet, 19th century or earlier Himalayan Art Resources item no. 2860 Largest piece diameter 6 cm (2 3/8 in.) (3). Provenance: Property from a European Family Collection Tsatsa moulds such as the present set are employed in the creation of votive offerings for diverse religious and communal functions. Moulds are used to produce clay tsatsa, which are typically crafted from cast metal. In certain practices, the tsatsa clay is ritually infused with the cremated remains of revered spiritual teachers. The creation of tsatsa is considered an act of devotion, with the finished images either distributed to devotees or enshrined within stupas and other sacred sites. See Namgyal-Lama, "Molded Clay Image (Tsatsa) of Amoghapasha: Mass Production of Images as a Ritual Practice," in Project Himalayan Art, Rubin Museum of Art, 2023. Also see examples of two-dimensional tsatsas with stupas and prayers that were found at the Dungkar and Piyang caves of West Tibet in HAR 37033 & 62213, respectively.