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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

  • copper alloy,
  • pigment

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

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

The images on this website can enable discovery and collaboration and support new scholarship, and we encourage their use. This object is in the public domain (CC0 1.0). This object is Phurbu Dagger with Head of Hayagriva with the accession number of 1989.110.41. To request high-resolution files or new photography, please send an email to imagerequest@risd.edu and include your name and the object's accession number.

Feedback

We view our online collection as a living documents, and our records are frequently revised and enhanced. If you have additional information or have spotted an error, please send feedback to curatorial@risd.edu.

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