GRAND PURBHA EN ALLIAGE D'ARGENT ET FER MONGOLIE OU CHINE, XVIIIE/XIXE SIÈCLEGRAND PURBHA EN ALLIAGE D'ARGENT ET FERMONGOLIE OU CHINE, XVIIIE/XIXE SIÈCLE Himalayan Art Resources item no. 205001 113 cm (44 1/2 in.) highA LARGE SILVER ALLOY AND IRON PURBHA MONGOLIA OR CHINA, 18TH/19TH CENTURY 蒙古或中國 十八/十九世紀 銀嵌寶柄鐵刃普巴杵 This purbha is adorned with three Dharmapala faces finished with a half-vajra on top. There are fine details such as the dragon incisions on the blade, the decoration of waster monsters emerging from the ocean on the stand, and the protective mantra that encircles the handle. According to legend, when Padmasambhava founded Buddhism in Tibet, he used a purbha (ritual peg) to dissipate obstructive forces. The teachings of the purbha's wrathful functions are addressed in the Vajrakilaya Tantra. Its tripartite blade symbolizes its capacity to sever the three roots of karmic poison: ignorance, greed, and aggression. Compare to purbhas of similar style HAR12946 and Arts Council of Great Britain, Tantra, London, 1972, p. 96, no. 489.Published:Deborah Ashencaen and Gennady Leonov, Mirror of Mind: Art of Vajrayana Buddhism, Spink & Sons Ltd., London, 1995, p. 46, no. 45.Images of gods from Tibet, Museum voor Volkerkunde, Rotterdam, 1989. Godenbeelden uit Tibet: Lamaïstische kunst uit Nederlands particulier bezit.Ramon Prats, et.al., Monasterios y lamas del Tibet, Madrid, Fundación "La Caixa", 2000, p. 102, no. 17.Exhibited:Images of gods from Tibet, Museum voor Volkerkunde, Rotterdam, 1989. Monasterios y lamas del Tibet, Fundación "La Caixa", Madrid, November 2000-January 2001.Provenance:Spink & Son Ltd., London, 1995