TWO BRONZE PHURBU WITH WRATHFUL DEITIES

拍品描述

TWO BRONZE PHURBU WITH WRATHFUL DEITIES Tibet, 19th century. One is cast with a vajra-formed mid-section surmounted by three wrathful heads, with the opposite end terminating in a tripartite blade issuing from the fangs of a makara. The other has a pommel cast as a three-headed wrathful deity, its body adorned with jewelry and a garland of severed heads, the top rising into a horse’s head, while the opposite end bears a tripartite blade. Dimensions: Length c. 16 cm each A phurbu (kila) is a three-edged peg usually made from metal or wood originating with Indian Tantric Buddhism and related to ritual mandala construction. The phurbu has been described in the West as a dagger with three blades. The finest metal phurbus are created from meteorite iron, while sandalwood is also popular. The various tantra literature describes different mediums for construction based on function and ritual practice. The principal deity associated with the phurbu is Vajrakila (Vajrakilaya) represented by three faces at the top of the dagger crowned with a half vajra.

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