Old ceremonial cleaver handle (trigug in Tibetan) in finely chiseled bronze. The whole is engraved on both sides, the hilt presenting a terrifying-looking kala: eyes wide open staring straight ahead and surmounted by bushy eyebrows, nostrils dilated in a wide muzzle, open mouth and fangs apparent between his two hands. . It evolves in a register of clouds, the solar and lunar symbols placed above it. The handle has a decoration of trilobed foliage surmounted by a hemisphere decorated with lotus petals and a border of gadroons, the upper part ending in a half vajra. The reverse is similar, the guard being differentiated by a tangle of clouds.
The trigug in Vajrayana Buddhism is a ceremonial cleaver used in tantric ceremonies. It is used to skin bodies and is also the attribute of wrathful Dakinis, symbolizing the tearing to pieces of all negative and materialistic actions with the help of the Blade of Wisdom.
Piece presented on a custom bronze plinth.
Without base: 18 x 8 cm
Condition: Old traces of gilding
Provenance: From a set from a private collection
Ref: DZE191VGE2
Style | Asian Arts (Asian Tribal Art of Asian Arts Style) |
Period | 18th century (Asian Tribal Art 18th century) |
Materials | Gilt bronze |
Shipping Time | Ready to ship in 1 Business Day |
Location | 38090, Villefontaine, France |
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