Phurba ritual dagger

Tibet, 18th century

Bronze. The horse heads in the hair refer to Hayagriva, a chökyong.

L: 27.5 cm

O 1299

Gift of Vladimír Piskáček, 1999.

A phurba (Tibetan) or kila (Sanskrit) is a ritual dagger with a tripartite blade and sculpted decorative hilt terminating in three heads of ferocious protector-deities – chökyong (Tibetan) or dharmapala (Sanskrit).