A COPPER ALLOY GHANTA


KOREA, GORYEO DYNASTY, 13TH/14TH CENTURYHimalayan Art Resources item no.61676 20.3 cm (8 in.) high
|韓國 高麗王朝 十三/十四世紀 銅金剛鈴The bronze ritual bell is powerfully modeled with complex detail. The body of the bell depicts four celestial guardians of each direction: Vaishravana of the North, holding a pagoda and a lance; Dhartarashtra of the East, holding a bow and arrow; Virudhaka of the South and Virupaksa of the West, both holding swords. The four guardians alternate between vajras facing the sub-cardinal directions, molded in the same shape as the bell's three-pronged vajra-handle. Ritual implements like the present lot provide material evidence of tantric practices in Korea. Early esoteric practices in the country came with Mahayana Buddhism's introduction during 4th century. However, it was not until 13th century, when the Mongols took control of Korea and established relations with Tibet, that Tibetan Buddhism started to infiltrate Korea. Korean monks met Tibetan lamas at the Yuan court and Tibetan teachers travelled to Korea.Large quantities of ritual implements were produced during the 13th and 14th centuries. Tantric rituals were regularly employed for statecraft at the Koryo court (see Georgieva-Russ, "Esoteric Buddhist Ritual Objects of the Koryo Dynasty: Vajra Scepters and Vajra Bells", 1998, pp.2-3). Monks usually hold a vajra in the right hand and a bell in the left, manipulating the implements while chanting mantras. Considered the 'voice of the Dharma', the bell's chime summons the guardians.Several ghantas of similar style and subject are housed in the Nara National Museum in Japan, see Sources of Japanese Buddhist Art, Nara, 1978, pp.195-6, nos.52-3.ProvenanceAlan Darer 1980s