Dragon Choksar Prayer Table from Tibet - 17th Century

This exceptional 17th-century Tibetan choksar is a beautifully preserved example of monastic furniture, richly carved and painted with a powerful dragon swirling through clouds across the front panel. The sides are decorated with lotus blossoms—auspicious symbols of purity—set among vibrant, billowing cloud motifs. Its hinged construction allows the piece to fold down, a practical feature designed for travelling monks who moved between homes, villages, and temples while carrying their prayer tables with them.

Choksars were used during scripture reading, with sacred texts unrolled across the top and a yak-butter lamp burning nearby. Over the centuries, this ritual left many Tibetan pieces coated in a thick residue; here, our specialist team has sensitively cleaned the surface while carefully preserving the original paint, carving, and patina. With its bold colours, deeply carved ornament, and remarkable survival, this choksar is both a rare collector’s piece and a superb example of Tibetan devotional art.

• Origin: Tibet
• Date: 17th Century
• Materials: Carved and painted wood
• Features: Dragon carving among clouds; lotus-blossom end panels; folding travelling form; original pigments and surface
• Condition: Historically used in a monastic setting; carefully cleaned and preserved while retaining age and patina
• Dimensions: W66 x D28 x H26 cm

References:

• For a stylistically similar choksar see Buckley, Chris. Tibetan Furniture: Identifying, Appreciating, Collecting. Bangkok: Orchid Press, 2005, Fig. 153.
• For similar examples see Kamansky, David - Wooden Wonders: Tibetan Furniture in Secular & Religious Life . Berkeley: Dharma Publishing, 2002, fig. 20 (PAMTFC carbon 14 dated to 16th century), Fig 33 & Fig 44.