Jewel of the Lotus
Meet Tsajon von Lixfeld
In 1952 Ernst-Egon 'Tsajon' von Lixfeld came to the United States from Germany. He became a U.S. citizen in 1956. After graduating from the University of Denver he moved to Los Angeles. In 1970 he started his first business, Ergo Imports. He has owned and operated various businesses since.In 1972 he moved to Amsterdam and established his import business in Europe, traveling the overland route in the winters and selling in European flea markets in the summers. Between 1970 and 1979 Tsajon made five overland trips to India via Turkey, Iran, Afghanistan and Pakistan. He established many contacts, especially in India and Nepal. As his interests extended beyond trade, he immersed himself in the cultures, learning to speak
Hindi and some Tibetan.While in Benaras, India, he was given a tantric lingam stone by an Indian Sadhu, and instructed to spread the Shiva energy of the stone around the world. He became intrigued with the stone and spent six months researching its meaning and origin. Over the years he sold 10,000 lingams in Europe and America. He also followed the Tibetan heritage and took refuge with H.H. Karmapa Lama in the Dali Monastery in Darjeeling, India. The business name 'Jewel in the Lotus' was inspired by his teacher, Kyabje Thuksey Rimpoche, who instructed him to live his Dharma and use his business as a way to spread the Dharma of Buddhism.
In 1982 Tsajon moved back to the U.S. He received a scholarship to the Gemological Institute of America where he earned a degree in Gemology, and took a course in jewelry manufacturing. This exposure trained his eye to see and grade diamonds. Years of experience and exposure to Asian fine art have enabled him to become an appraiser of Indian and Tibetan art.In 1998 Tsajon curated an exhibition of antique Indian gold jewelry entitled Aristocratic Adornments of India for the Gemological Institute of America in Carlsbad, CA. This exhibit featured a 175 carat Mughal ruby inscribed “Shah Jahan.” Both the Los Angeles County Museum of Art and the Dallas Museum of Art have pieces from Tsajon and Kamalia in their permanent collections.
In 1992 Tsajon married Kamalia. They moved to Kauai, Hawaii, where they opened the Lotus Galleries, designing and fabricating jewelry in their studio and importing precious Asian artifacts. Over time, Tsajon von Lixfeld and Kamalia have carefully curated a large collection of antiques and jewelry from India, Nepal, Burma (Myanmar) and Thailand. Their jewelry collection consists of remarkable pieces of antique Indian gold as well as custom pieces designed and fabricated by Tsajon and Kamalia.In August of 2021 the the Lotus Gallery relocated to the Traveler’s Market in Santa Fe, NM., while maintaining a 'by appointment only' presence on Kauai, HI. When not traveling in Asia, he and Kamalia split their time between Kauai and Santa Fe.
