EPÉE RITUELLE EN ACIER DAMASQUINÉ OR ET ARGENT TIBET, XVE/XVIE SIÈCLEEPÉE RITUELLE EN ACIER DAMASQUINÉ OR ET ARGENTTIBET, XVE/XVIE SIÈCLE Himalayan Art Resources item no. 205022 64 cm (25 1/4 in.) highA GOLD AND SILVER DAMASCENED STEEL RITUAL SWORD TIBET, 15TH/16TH CENTURY 西藏 十五/十六世紀 鋼鋄金銀法劍 The flaming sword is a destructive and protective weapon symbolizing wisdom's transformative power to cut through ignorance. As a means of representing and attaining transcendence, this magical weapon at once deconstructs attachments to self, thereby transmuting conflict into wisdom. Like many tantric implements, its origins lay in Vedic mythologies, though once adopted into Vajrayana practice, it became largely associated with the discerning mind and wisdom practices of the bodhisattva Manjushri. The Tibetan artist's masterful iron smithing is on full display through the nuanced treatment of this sword, as the alternating application of gold and silver draws the viewer's attention towards the vajra finial located at the handle and the fiery edges of the hilt. Compare its dense, flaming design with the damascened gold of a ritual spear, illustrated in Henss, Buddhist Ritual Art of Tibet, Stuttgart, 2020, fig. 273. Published:Ramon Prats, et.al., Monasterios y lamas del Tibet, Madrid, Fundación "La Caixa", 2000, p. 101, no. 16.Exhibited:Monasterios y lamas del Tibet, Fundación "La Caixa", Madrid, November 2000-January 2001.Provenance:Spink & Son Ltd., London, 1990s