Defacing such a significant cultural resource is a disgrace and a crime.
As for what is actually taboo, it depends who you ask. The reason that some Tibetan artifacts are made of bone (skull cups and drums, bone aprons and femur trumpets, etc.) is because they represent the impermanence of all things and suggest that people should not be attached to objects or concepts. An interesting perspective for all collectors to consider! Of course, in practice, I think Tibetans have been somewhat ambivalent about such items; do they not matter, or should they be guarded as important religious objects?
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