1930s Tibetan Elm Pegam Apothecary Altar Cabinet

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Antique Tibetan Pegam book chest bench seat. Made of elm with serpentine form and vibrant hand painted floral acanthus motif … Read more Antique Tibetan Pegam book chest bench seat. Made of elm with serpentine form and vibrant hand painted floral acanthus motif that features three toed dragons, big cats, fruit and birds.

Pegam is a unique and distinctive type of Tibetan furniture. In Tibetan, the word peja or pecha means book, while gam means box. We rarely come across a pegam as they were mostly used by high ranking Lamas in their personal chambers.

The pegam is typically characterized as a small cabinet with a scalloped panel at the back and molded panels at the side. This arrangement was specially made as an honored space to hold and read upon. The Lamas would rest manuscripts on the top of the pegam; successively read pages were leaned against the vertical back panel. See less