Exorcising Dagger
18th century (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
The ritual dagger is used for a variety of religious and magical purposes. These include the expulsion and control of evil spirits and the demarcation or guarding of a sacred space. The power of the dagger comes from the identification of its user with the deity depicted on it. Here it is the wrathful horse-headed Hayagriva.
Object details
| Category | |
| Object type | |
| Materials and techniques | Handle of cast and chased bronze with parcel-gilding and diamond-facets, Iron blade |
| Brief description | Excorcising dagger, bronze gilded handle with iron blade, handle ornamented with heads and skulls, E.Tibet, 18th century. |
| Physical description | Exorcising nail or dagger (p'ur-bu); the handle is made of cast and chased bronze with parcel-gilt. The blade is made of iron. The upper part of the handle consists of the three-faced head of the Dharmapala Hayagriva. Each face is surmounted by three skulls, and a skull divides face from face. A horses head emerges from the bristling hair. The middle of the handle is in five sections covered with a double row of lotus-petals, and the fourth is diamond-facetted. The lower part of the handle forms a tusked Makara-head, above three large lotus-leaves. The blade has three grooved sides. |
| Dimensions |
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| Summary | The ritual dagger is used for a variety of religious and magical purposes. These include the expulsion and control of evil spirits and the demarcation or guarding of a sacred space. The power of the dagger comes from the identification of its user with the deity depicted on it. Here it is the wrathful horse-headed Hayagriva. |
| Bibliographic reference | Tibetan art / John Lowry. London: H. M. Stationery Office, 1973
p. 105, cat. no. 47b |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | IM.72-1929 |
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| Record created | February 3, 2006 |
| Record URL |
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