Nepalese melong Double Dorje 52 millimeters

Recently made lightweight alpaca metal mirror from Nepal, with a diameter of 52 millimeters and a weight of 23 grams. In Nepal, mirrors such as these are called 'melong'. They are traditionally often worn on the belt, instead of around the neck. 

Design characteristics:

The silvery alpaca metal base has been painted with a dark red-brown color. On the frontside, the symbol of a double dorje can be seen. 

The double dorje or crossed dorje (or in Sanskrit; visvavajra) is a symbol very common in Buddhism and Hinduism. It shows dorje-heads going into all four cardinal directions from the central hub, which  symbolizes the principle of absolute stability, of finding solid ground in the middle of the universe. 

It is said that a vast crossed dorje underlies Mount Meru, the esoteric mountain in Hindu and Buddhist cosmology that is considered to be the center and axis of all worlds, both inside ourselves and outside, and both the physical and non-physical worlds. Thus the double dorje supports the entire universe and also symbolizes a perfect balance between spirit and matter, heaven and earth, wisdom and compassion (the divine feminine and divine masculine).

Being a symbol of indestructability, a double dorje is often depicted as the central hub of intricate mandala representations, such as in thangka’s, where it forms the immoveable support or foundation of the mandala palace. Also the symbol is often found on for example depictions and statues of  buddhist deities, ritual attributes, amulets, furniture and fabrics

Read more about the origin, design and usage of (shamanic) mirrors in the general description of our webshop collection "Mirrors and Melongs".