As much an object of folk art as fashion, our Tibetan belt with multiple pockets was created during a time of hope for that troubled land. Today’s entrenched diplomatic standoff between the People’s Republic of China and the Tibetan Government in Exile makes it easy to forget the “Tibetan Thaw” of the early 1980s. A combination of international diplomacy starting with Richard Nixon’s 1972 visit to China and Deng Xiaoping’s economic reforms later in the decade combined to produce a period of new Chinese programs to liberalize their control in Tibet. These programs, broadly affecting political, economic, and religious activities, also resulted in greater availability of traditional Tibetan folk crafts, albeit in the case of our red and yellow leather belt, using unrefined materials and found ornaments. Despite its somewhat ad hoc nature, the colors and decorative motifs such as the Buddhist “Endless Knot” and the utility woven into the thousand years culture of a nomadic people are distinctly Tibetan in spirit. It was purchased either in Tibet or the populous city of Chengdu, which serves as the capital of the neighboring Sichuan Province where many Tibetan autonomous counties exist. If the latter, the belt was probably designed more for a moped rider than a pastoralist on traditional Tibetan pony. Condition: Excellent. Dimensions: approximately 36", adjustable.