Dating approximately to the 19th century, this surviving group of twelve Tibetan divination cards depicts an extraordinary world of deities, wrathful guardians, ritual objects, animals and strange symbolic forms. They have a bold, almost folk-art quality, but it is the world behind the images that makes them really fascinating.

Divination has existed in the Himalayan region for centuries, with traditions reaching back before the spread of Buddhism. As Buddhism became established across Tibet, these older practices became intertwined with a much richer religious world of deities, protectors, ritual and symbolism.

Tarot is probably the closest familiar comparison for a Western audience, although these are absolutely not Tibetan tarot cards. They come from a completely different tradition. What connects them is something much more universal: our fascination with symbols and our desire to find meaning and answers in things we don't fully understand.

That is what I love about these cards. They weren't created simply to look mystical. The symbolism meant something. The terrifying figures, strange animals and ritual objects belonged to a culture in which spirituality and divination were part of a much larger religious world. Nearly two centuries later, some of that mystery is still there.

I restored each of the twelve cards individually from the surviving historical images. They can be hung alone, in groups or as a complete collection.