White Copper Zhakila Pendant, with Chain

The three options correspond to three ways of buying: the pendant alone, the pendant on a chain as a necklace, or either of those with a floating display box added. Do not assume a chain is included — pendant alone means one pendant, and you supply the chain. For a gift, the boxed version saves hunting for packaging, and the box itself is presentable enough. The difference in price is mostly the chain and the box; the pendant is the same. Some of the options are sold as sets, so do not order just the one piece if it is the set you want.

Zhakila's iconography is a system of its own in thangka and in clay. A fierce face with a trace of a smile, a jewelled crown, necklaces, a dark body colour: this is the usual emotional language of a protector, authority to hold obstacles down and protection for the faithful. Her cult is strong around Lhasa; people come to ask for wealth and for safety, and locals speak of her with respect. Her images usually stand in the wealth-deity corner, alongside Yellow Jambhala and White Jambhala, in an inconspicuous place with plenty of incense. The fierceness is not meant to frighten: a protector is fierce towards obstacles and protective towards people.

The chained version saves the trouble of matching one; chain length and clasp are as supplied, so try the necklace on before cutting the tag off. The floating box sells on the moment it opens: the pendant suspended on clear film in the middle of the box, not touching the base, which is presentable as a gift. For your own use, the pendant alone is enough; a box takes up space in a drawer. Most people buy the pendant on its own, and the box can be added later.

There are details on the figure that are easily missed. The protruding tongue in Tibetan protector images signals awe and subjugation, not mockery; the ornaments on the crown, the shape of the earrings and the layers of the necklace are all points by which the iconography is read. Look at those first rather than at the overall silhouette, which can be copied, whereas details cannot. The five skulls on the crown stand for the five poisons turning into five wisdoms, not decoration meant to scare. Earring length and necklace spacing are drawn differently from lineage to lineage, and there is no need to insist that they agree.

The bail on the pendant decides how thick a chain will fit. A fine chain passes easily, a thick one may not, and asking before you buy saves changing the chain afterwards. Copper fears sweat: wipe it after wearing in summer and do not shower in it, since steam lodges in the crevices and green spots come up in time. For regular wear, wipe the whole piece with a dry cloth every two months or so, rather than waiting for it to go black. Dry it before putting it away.