Historical information

Presented to the Dalai Lama when he arrived at Bomdila in India after his escape from the Chinese military occupation of Tibet. He was received at the Indo-Tibet border by Har Mander Singh, Political Officer of the Government of India, on 31 March 1959. The Dalai Lama was invited to stay in his home in Bomdila, while the Indian Government made arrangements for an official welcome. The locals made a throne for His Holiness, and next to it was this bowl filled with local fruits.

Significance

The fruit bowl was presented to the Dalai Lama as a gesture of reverence and welcome at an important time in the history of Tibet. The bowl stands as a quiet witness to the beginning of a new chapter in the Dalai Lama’s life, at the outset of his exile.

Physical description

Painted fruit bowl, made of lacquered wood.