Detail Views

This is a tantric Buddhist phurba from a Nyingma lama in Rasuwa district, on the Nepal side of the Tibet border.  It is carved from some type of heavy hard wood, and has classic Vajrayana Buddhist features. The phurba deities show the angry grimace of the dharmapalas or protectors of the Buddhist faith.  The center grip is expertly carved in a finely detailed dorje - the symbol of the incorruptible Buddha nature inherent in all beings.  The blade emerges from the gaping jaws of a dragon like creature, and the sides of the blade have the intertwined Naga motif.  The back of the blade has the mystical invocation "hung" carved in the uchen script commonly referred to as "Tibetan", though it is used by a great many Himalayan peoples, including those in Nepal, India and Bhutan.  In short this is simply a superb example of the Buddhist ritual dagger.