A BRASS ALLOY VAJRAKILA PURBHA


TIBET, CIRCA 13TH CENTURYHimalayan Art Resources item no.61955 15 1/2 in. (39.4 cm) long
|西藏 約十三世紀 銅質普巴金剛橛 A purbha is a ritual peg often used to subdue or exorcise harmful influences. According to legend, it is with the power of a purbha that Padmasambhava subdued malevolent forces and cleared the path for Buddhism adoption in Tibet. The present work is a refined example of purbhas entirely cast in bronze. The three-faces of the deity Vajrakila at the top are meticulously rendered with tensed facial muscles, bared fangs, and coiled snakes in the hair. Each face has a nuanced expression. Separately cast earrings also add to the overall delicacy and superior quality of this purbha's casting. A larger purbha of similar construction, formerly in the Halpert Collection, is published in Pal (ed.), Tibet: Tradition and Change, Albuquerque, 1997, pp.164-5, no.82.