PURBHA EN LAITON ET FER AJOURÉ TIBET, XIIIE SIÈCLEPURBHA EN LAITON ET FER AJOURÉTIBET, XIIIE SIÈCLE Himalayan Art Resources item no. 205040 47.5 cm (18 3/4 in.) highA LARGE BRASS AND IRON RETICULATED PURBHA TIBET, 13TH CENTURY 西藏 十三世紀 銅鏤空柄天鐵刃普巴杵According to myth, the cult of the phurba and Vajrakila were introduced into Tibet by Padmasambhava, the legendary teacher and founder of the Nyingma school, during the 8th century to subdue hostile forces. Extraordinary tales of magic are associated with these triple-sided stakes as a means of severing harmful emotions such as hatred and aggression by transmuting them at the blade tip. As the pommel is also employed in ritual blessings, the phurba is regarded as a spiritual implement rather than a physical weapon.The present work, comprising a single tier of three-faces and an openwork vajra grip flanked by threaded knots on either side, shares its configuration and material with another purbha in the Tibet Museum – Fondation Alain Bordier in Gruyères, Switzerland (von Schroeder, Art sacre du Tibet, 2013, p. 222, no. 117).Published:Ramon Prats, et.al., Monasterios y lamas del Tibet, Madrid, Fundación "La Caixa", 2000, p. 103, no. 23.Exhibited:Monasterios y lamas del Tibet, Fundación "La Caixa", Madrid, November 2000-January 2001.Provenance:Spink & Son Ltd., London, 1990s