Atsara Dancer
In cham performances, the Atsara dancer portrayed the Indian pandits (religious scholars) who came to Tibet between the 7th and 12th centuries to teach Indian Buddhism. The dancer wore a long brocade robe and red silk dress, with a mask said to depict the facial features of a man from East India. He carried an incense burner and a ritual thighbone trumpet. The trumpet, believed to have mystical powers, produced fierce, otherworldly, and bone-penetrating sounds to terrify evil spirits. The Atsara dancer frolicked about during performances and entertained spectators in comical interludes between the long ritual dances.
