Item Type: Tibetan Antique Ritual Items
Style: Tibetan
Dimensions: Height: 1.12 in (34cm) Diameter: 0.20 in (6 cm)
Materials and Techniques: Old Copper
Place of Origin: Sakya Monastery
Period: 19th Century
Condition: Good
This is a rare Vajra of the two-armed Maharajah, which can be used for personal practice or offered as an offering. The upper part of the Vajra is a statue of the two-armed Maharajah, which is the manifestation of the Vajra deity. The statue wears a small and exquisite Five Skeleton Treasure Crown on its head, and its hair is tied up like a Good Wishes Beads-Mani pearls. It is decorated with a snake. The face of the statue is square-shaped with a strong jawline and a goatee. There are three eyes on the face, olive-shaped and glaring with anger. The broad nose and thick eyebrows give an image of ferocity and vivid expression of the wrathful emotion. The earlobes are large and circular, and the body is full and well-proportioned. The chest is bare and there is a snake necklace around the neck. Snakes are a symbol of "greed" in Tibetan Buddhism, and using them as decoration here represents the subduing of "greed". Therefore, both the bracelets and anklets are adorned with snakes. The statue has two arms on its shoulders, holding a Kapala in the left hand, filled with nectar that looks like human blood, and a curved knife in the right hand. The hands are finely crafted and realistic, soft and elastic, with clear depictions of the fingernails and joints. The carving of the three-faced Makara below is also extremely detailed, with deep and profound eyes, expressive eyebrows, a snaking nose, and an open mouth with exposed teeth and tongue, expressing a vivid image. Below is a cold iron triangular blade, representing the power to rule over all things, eliminate egoism, attain freedom, and head directly towards Nirvana. This Vajra is considered to have a level that could be described as museum-grade, with exquisite craftsmanship. It was passed down from the Sakya Monastery in the early years and originally came with a wooden base, and it is exceptionally pure and excellent to be offered through virtue.
