Prayer Wheel
19th century (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
A prayer wheel is operated by a gentle circular motion of the hand that sets the cylinder containing the printed mantras or prayers turning, The centrifugal motion is maintained by means of a weight on a chain.. Tibetans believe that the prayers are sent out to uplift and help all beings by this process.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Parts | This object consists of 4 parts.
|
| Materials and techniques | Cast and punched copper mounted with cast silver, turned teak-wood, silver and facetted copper, and wood-block printed and painted paper |
| Brief description | Copper prayer wheel, two wood-block printed and painted paper scrolls, and envelope, Gyantse, 19th century |
| Physical description | Prayer wheel, two wood-block printed and painted paper scrolls, and envelope. The hand prayer wheel consists of a cylinder of cast and punched copper, which is mounted with three bands of cast silver. The handle is made of turned teak-wood, and at one side of the revolving cylinder is a silver chain and a facetted copper weight. The cylinder has two bands of repetitions of the mantra 'Om mani padme hum' in Lantsa characters. On the top cover is a double-dorje and on the bottom are the eight glorious emblems (the golden fish, umbrella, wheel, victorious banner, endless knot, conch, lotus and vase). Inside is a roll of paper inscribed from wood-blocks with thousands of repetitions of the Buddhist mantra 'Om ma ni pad mes hum'. |
| Marks and inscriptions | (Bands of repititions of the mantra around the cylinder and wood-block printed on paper inside the cylinder, in Lantsa characters.)
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| Credit line | Given by Mrs Dora Creagh |
| Summary | A prayer wheel is operated by a gentle circular motion of the hand that sets the cylinder containing the printed mantras or prayers turning, The centrifugal motion is maintained by means of a weight on a chain.. Tibetans believe that the prayers are sent out to uplift and help all beings by this process. |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | IM.257 to B, 2-1916 |
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| Record created | December 20, 2005 |
| Record URL |
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