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Tibetan

Phurbu Dagger with Head of Hayagriva, 1800s

Now On View

Description

Maker

Unknown

Culture

Tibetan

Title

Phurbu Dagger with Head of Hayagriva

Year

1800s

Medium

Gilded copper alloy with traces of pigment

Materials/Techniques

Materials

Techniques

gilded

Dimensions

Length: 24.8 cm (9 3/4 inches)

Place

Tibet

Type

Sculpture

Credit

Bequest of John M. Crawford, Jr.

Object Number

1989.110.41

Exhibition History

Asian Art Galleries

Phurbu daggers, prominent in Tibetan Buddhism, were used in rituals to dispel demonic forces and disease. They are characterized by three-sided triangular blades, which may have derived from the shape of tent pegs used in the Himalayan region. The hilt on this dagger features the head of Hayagriva, a manifestation of Bodhisattva Avalokitesvara in wrathful form.

Rockefeller Asian Art Gallery

Use

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