2. Seal of the Fifth Dalai Lama China, Qing Dynasty 17th Century

Detail: seal Tibet Museum Photo Courtesy of Bowers Museum Chinese, Manchu, and Tibetan inscriptions, carved into this official seal, express the international statue and importance of the Fifth Dalai Lama, the �Buddha of Great Compassion in the West and Leader of the Buddhist Faith beneath the Sky.� The Fifth Dalai Lama, also known as the Great Fifth, built the Potala Palace and served as both the secular ruler and spiritual teacher of Tibet, a dual role held by each subsequent Dalai Lama.

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all images and text © Bowers Museum and Tibet Museum