Measurements: Height: 18-3/4" Width: 4-1/2" A Superb Chinese Ming gilt bronze in thunderbolt vajra. Finely casted Bronze Vajra, casted in spherical shaped cylindrical body, each sections carved with auspicious symbol and mark on spheres. The top handle adorned with four faces Vajrabhairava bodhisattva, bulging eyes with thick hairy eyebrows, open mouth revealed the fangs and curled tongues, beneath multi pointed human skull crown, with half vajra finial. Adorned with many attractive symbols in relief and painted with silver accents. The vajra having Quadra-edges blades, surmounting gilt entwined serpents and ribbons. The handle Adorned with four faces bodhisattvas. A Standing vertically upon a prone figure above round padmasana upon a double lotus throne pedestal. The gilt bronze is bright and lustrous as the light is easily reflected from the well-polished surfaces. The plaques split in the middle section, and fitted perfectly upon each other. There is a light grey patina noted in several creases. The upper front pedestal bears reign mark, a six incised script characters, Made In The Years of Yongle Reign Period of Great Ming Dynasty.LOT NOTES: Vajra, It is mentioned in the Rigveda mostly as a weapon of Indra. It is suggested that it was originally made of stone and later of bone. In later literature its use as a weapon becomes rare. The Vayu-pura uses it mostly in connection with Indra and Siva. It, however, shows a stage when vajra as a weapon was probably no longer in use and the term was often metaphorically used. Vajra-Indra's thunderbolt; a weapon shaped out of Dadhici's limbs by ViSvakarman for the use of Indra; with this Indra was able to break the back of the mountains. By this Vtra was slain. Vajra is descried as a thunderbolt mystical weapon, especially one wielded by the god Indra in Buddhist religion believe.