Historical information

The Tibetan astrological calendar is a lunisolar calendar composed of either 12 or 13 lunar months, each beginning and ending with a new moon. A thirteenth month is added every two or three years, so that an average Tibetan year is equal to the solar year. The Tibetan astrological calendar has roots in the Indian calendar system and has been in use for over a thousand years.

Significance

The Tibetan calendar is an important tool for determining auspicious dates and times and for making predictions about future events. The calendar is an essential aspect of Tibetan identity and culture and continues to be used and revered to this day.

Physical description

This ornate copper disk represents the traditional Tibetan astrological calendar (called Phukpa) based on a 60-year cycle where each year is associated with an animal and an element. The central figure is surrounded by eight trigrams (known as Parkhas), featuring one of the four seasons and four cardinal directions. The middle circle depicts 12 zodiac animals: the mouse, ox, tiger, hare, dragon, serpent, horse, sheep, monkey, rooster, dog, and pig.