Cham figure

The Weltmuseum Wien has 12 wooden figures in the Hans Leder Collection, which depict figures from the sacred Tsam dance that originated in Tibet. The figures were commissioned by Leder and are probably not an autochthonous Mongolian artefact. The Tsam dance is a religious ceremony or sacred festival in which lamas or monks dress up in elaborate masks and costumes (at a certain time of year) and perform pantomime dances in front of the temples accompanied by music. They represent various Buddhist patron gods, animals, Garuda or heroes.

This figure represents the raven, who tries to touch, desecrate or steal the sacred offerings from the centre of the dance ground during the tsam, but is driven away by the two lords of the cemeteries and two heroes. Furthermore, during the performance the raven, together with the lords of the graveyards, keeps order among the spectators. For example, a blow from the raven's wing or the cemetery lords' stick brings bad luck.