Ritual Dagger (Phurba), 1403-1424
Unknown artist, Chinaexpand_more
Gilt bronzeexpand_more
Gift of Ruth and Bruce Daytonexpand_more 2000.148
Not on Viewexpand_more
The phurba is used in Lamaist Buddhism during rites to exorcise evil influences. Based on a tent peg, the ritual weapon is employed to pin down demons harmful to Buddhist thought in the process of taming and teaching them.
The early Ming emperors, especially Yongle (r. 1403-24) and Xuande (r. 1426-35), sought the services of Tibetan lamas during their reigns and a great many missions between China and Tibet involved the mutual exchange of Buddhist images and ritual objects. Made in the imperial workshops for ceremonial use in the Chinese court or as tribute, this phurba has three blades terminating in three heads of Makara, an auspicious mythological creature. The dagger is surmounted by three grinning masks of the deity Darje Phurba each wearing a crown of three seated Buddhas.
Details
- Title
- Ritual Dagger (Phurba)
- Role
- Artist
- Accession Number
- 2000.148
- Curator Approved
This record has been reviewed by our curatorial staff but may be incomplete. These records are frequently revised and enhanced. If you notice a mistake or have additional information about this object, please email collectionsdata@artsmia.org.
Does something look wrong with this image? Let us know
Zoom in on the left to the detail you'd like to save. Click 'Save detail' and wait until the image updates. Right click the image to 'save image as' or copy link, or click the image to open in a new tab.