TIBETAN BUDDHIST ANTIQUE BRONZE PHURBA15th century (1400-1499), 12.5 inchRare Ancient Tibetan Buddhist Bronze Ritual Phurba Purbu KnifeSIZE12.5 long x 1 wide x 1.125 deep inches31.8 long x 2.54 wide x 3 deep cmMATERIALSBronzePHURBA KILAThe phurba or kīla is a three-sided peg, stake, knife, or nail-like ritual implement traditionally associated with Tibetan Buddhism. The phurba is closely associated with the practice of the meditational deity Vajrakīlaya (Tibetan Dorje Phurba).The traditional fabrication of the phurba is quite diverse. Having pommel, handle, and blade, phurbas are often segmented into threes on both the horizontal and vertical axes. This compositional arrangement highlights the importance of the spiritual energy triads. A kīla may be constituted and constructed of different materials and material components, such as wood, metal, clay, bone, gems, horn or crystal.The phurba is used as a ritual implement to signify stability on a prayer ground during ceremonies. The energy of the phurba is fierce, wrathful, piercing, affixing, transfixing. The kīla affixes the elemental process of 'Space' to the Earth, thereby establishing an energetic continuum. The phurba often have two snakes or dragons on the blade, reminiscent of the Staff of Asclepius and the Caduceus of Hermes.As a tool of exorcism, the phurba may be employed to hold demons or thought forms in place (once they have been expelled from their human hosts, for example) in order that their mind stream may be re-directed and their obscurations transmuted. More esoterically, the kīla may serve to bind and pin down negative energies or obscurations from the mind stream of an entity, person or thoughtform, including the thoughtform generated by a group, project and so on, to administer purification.The kīla as an iconographical implement is directly related to a wrathful deity in both Tibetan Buddhist and Bon traditions. The deity is embodied in the phurba as a means of destroying (in the sense of finalizing and then freeing) violence, hatred, and aggression by tying them to the blade of the phurba and then transmuting them with its tip, The pommel may be employed in blessings. It is therefore that the kīla is not a physical weapon, but a spiritual implement of transmutation, and should be regarded as such.PROVENANCEThis extremely rare, and authentic ancient bronze Tibetan Phurba is estimated to the 15th century (1400-1499).The phurba has been in the personal collection of the owner of RudraAsianArt since 1998, when he received it in Kathmandu from a prominent Nyingma Lama. A truly fine and extremely unique collector’s piece, RudraAsianArt is so very pleased to be able to offer this exceptional and rare phurba with honor and respect for its sacred history and power.For more information, and more detail photographs, please do not hesitate to contact us. We will be happy and honored to help you.
