A GILT COPPER ALLOY VAJRA


TIBET, CIRCA 16TH CENTURY Himalayan Art Resources item no.61904 5 1/4 in. (13.5 cm) long
|西藏 約十六世紀 銅鎏金金剛杵 Referred to within the name of Shakyamuni's seat of enlightenment (vajrasana), this vajra symbolizes the immutable quality of the spiritual truth Shakyamuni unveiled. Used as ritual implement in Tibet, it is cast with five-prongs, four of them turned inwards on the central prong. The style of this vajra derives from early Ming imperial workshops of the 15th century, but has more slender petals and a shorter grip, suggesting a date from the subsequent century. Compare with closely related examples sold at Christie's, New York, 22 March 2013, lot 1253, and Bonhams, Hong Kong, 2 October 2018, lot 120.