Antique wooden phurba #5

he phurba is a ritual triangular knife common in vast territories of Asia, including India, Pakistan, Nepal, Tibet, Mongolia, China, Japan and others. There is no exact data on the duration of the use of phurba for ritual purposes, but according to references in the annals and finds from excavations it can be established that is has been used at least 3500 years.  

There are multiple ways in which the phurba is used. In many traditions it is used during ritual actions for its protective qualities, keeping the space safe from distortion by dark spirits and protecting the souls of the participants from getting lost. For this reason, before going into deep trance, Nepalese Orthodox Shamans (Jakri) stick the phurba into the ground on their left side to keep dark spirits at a distance.  

Also the phurba can be used as an attribute for healing, using it to expel evil spirits and entities from the human body and as a tool for directing energy and giving blessings.

In the appearance of a phurba there’s a lot of symbolism to be seen. Lengthwise it symbolizes the axis of the world and the three levels of Middleworld, Upperworld and Underworld can be recognized. The three facets of the faces and the blade symbolize all kinds of trinities, like in time (past, present, future) or state (creation, preservation, destruction).

The handle shows the guardian of this phurba and its owner, the three faced Vajrakilaya (or Dorje Phurba), a wrathful form of the Buddha Vajrasattva. In the middle some shrivatsa (endless knot) variations can be seen.

This wooden phurba comes from Tibet. It is an antique one, with handcarved decorations and little imperfections and damages that come with its age and usage. But, considering its age, this phurba is still in very excellent condition.

This phurba is beautiful in its simple, yet intricate appearance. The top of the handle shows the (in this case) four faced guardian and owner of the phurba and every side of the blade has different decorations; on two sides an archaic depiction of a vulture on top of the entangled snakes can be seen (symbolizing the transformation of heavy energies and entities) and on the third side a sun has been engraved. Due to its usage, this phurba has a beautiful dark and glossy patina.

This antique phurba has a length of 25 centimeters and weighs 99 grams.

Unique piece.