Tibetan Heavy Brass Butter Tea Strainer with Curved Finger Loop Handle

According to the Horniman Museum in London (item 1982.326 was the only match online), Tibetans developed their own way of preparing tea, adding extra nutrition using bricks of tea. Called ‘bo-jha’ or ‘po cha’ (butter tea to foreigners), chunks of tea are broken off the brick, toasted over a fire to destroy any mold or insects, then boiled in water, before being passed through a strainer like this. Yak milk, yak butter, and salt would be added after then the mixture churned with a stick.
 
This special hand-hammered tea strainer has a stepped bowl and domed strainer base. The curved handle is attached by some form of metal loosely enough for the handle to swing in a 45% range as it was emptied. In need of polishing, obviously. 
 
We believe it was bought by our mother during the 18 months she lived in Kathmandu in 1966-1967.
 
We found no comparables online, only the one similar one in the London museum.
 
H 3 ¾” x L 61/4” x W 4 ¾”
11.5 oz
 
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