Nepalese shamanic set, used as a travel kit. The set consists of a bell necklace, phurba and spirit doll. As described here below, the ages of the individual pieces in this set vary a bit, but they have been together in this combination at least since the 1970's.
The phurba and spirit doll have both been handcarved in a quite simple, archaic style; attention has been paid above all to their functionality, instead of to their decorative qualities. Simply said; they are made to do the work, not to show them off. That being said; don't you just love this ancient style, that goes far beyond the layers of religious iconography, connecting them to thousands of years of ancestral work and knowledge?
Of this set, the phurba has the oldest age. Of course such an important ritual attribute would have been handed down through families or from teachers to disciples, becoming more and more valuable over time. The doll is a little bit younger, but certainly also of quite a respectable age already. Such a small sized spirit doll in a travel set could have been used in multiple functions, for example as a simple representation for a spirit or deity during ritual, or as a temporal, re-location house for some spirit that the shaman extracted from a client or location. Such a doll can serve different roles in different settings, of course after being 'reset' thoroughly after every use.
The bell necklace is a bit more recent, it can be dated around the 1960's. The bells are made of a thin, lightweight metal, with an almost silvery matt shine. The bells have been handmade and vary a bit in size; between 3 and 3,5 centimeters long (measured without their eyelets). Such a lightweight necklace is of course perfect for travel sets like this. The black cotton cord closes with a toggle button and total length of the necklace is approximately 51 centimeters.
Sizes; the doll is 12,5 centimeters high, the phurba 14,5 centimeters.
Sold as a set of course, consisting of all three items that can be seen on the pictures. A unique, old and used combination.
