Old painted door from Tibet with tiger motif

In Tibet, doors are much more than just architecture. They are painted protective guards that decorate and bless the house, temple or monastery. They are often decorated with bright colors and symbols: Dragons for protective power, tigers for courage and strength, lotus blossoms for purity or endless knots for wisdom and luck.

This heavy door, which is probably over 70 years old, is painted with a tiger surrounded by bamboo on a red background. The tiger is a popular motif in Tibetan art. It is known for its strength, courage and endurance.

The highly decorative door is 148 cm high, 87 cm wide and 8 cm thick.