Gahu travel shrine. Silver facing on the front, is heavily decorated in repousse with added gold decoration to highlight the shrine-like frame that would have surrounded a small painting of a deity in the now-empty space at the center. These Gahu were worn attached on the backs of mendicants traveling the countryside or are found on altars in homes. Buddhist symbols in gold are circled around the shrine-like frame, which typically framed a miniature painting of a deity. Sides and back of Gahu are in copper with double clamps on each side through which a strap was strung by which to tote the shrine on the back. The interior was filled with papers printed with sutras as prayers for protection and merit. Note the wavy scarf attached to each Buddhist symbol; this reinforces the meaning and power of each symbol.