Bamo copper pendant

Tibetan witch, the Bamo.

Witches are a minor class of female spirits. Known as bamo in Tibetan they are considered particularly unruly. Three main witches are commonly known aside from many lesser ones. The Red Witch of Shang, named after the village of Shang, in the Tsang Province, is one of the three principal Bamo. Red in color, she holds a heart in the upraised right hand and a length of intestines in the left. These witches are often recognized by a large flower ornament adorning the forehead. They are considered difficult to control and thought to cause physical illness and madness to the weak hearted.

Large copper pendant. aprox 2 inches in size