Vintage Himalayan bell strap #6

Vintage Nepalese bell belt / strap with 16 brass bells sewn on a base of yak leather in a dark brown color. A bell strap such as this one is an intricate part of the attire of traditional Nepalese shamans and is also known as 'ghanta mala' (bell mala). 

The bells on this strap are made of brass and have a diameter of 32 millimeters (measured without the eyelet). 

On both sides of the bells there's a detailed, high relief depiction of a very fierce, forceful being. A wrathful spirit. In Himalayan regions, images of freightening faces of wrathful spirits and deities can be found everywhere, from bigger sized architectural ornaments or wooden masks to smaller sized pendants or bells to use as personal amulets 

In both (Tibetan) Buddhism and (Shaivist) Hinduism, they often represent the images of the fierce, wrathful aspects or forms of buddha's, bodhisattva's, deva's and deities (beings that have thus both a peaceful, friendly appearance and a forceful, horrifying form). In Tibetan Buddhism they can also be the images of dharmapala's; spirits and gods originating in the Tibetan pre-buddhist indigenous Bon-tradition, that are said to be 'tamed' by Padmasambhava in the 8th century CE and then sworn an oath to protect the buddhist dharma ever since.

The wrathful deities are portrait as terrifying, demonic-looking beings, often further adorned with gruesome ritual attributes and symbolic decorations such as (human) bones and skulls and other items associated with the charnel grounds.

But as terrifying as they might appear, they actually are often driven by compassion. They are very strong and powerful protectors and guides for those on the path to enlightenment, embodying the power and force needed to go forward and overcome and transform all obstacles on the way. They fight against all kinds of demons and evil and in Tibetan Buddhism especially against the enemies of Buddhism. 

But not always are these freightening faces specifically to be associated with the wrathful aspect of an identifiable deity. They can also be more ‘random’, general, anonymous wrathful faces working from the age old adage of “scaring away evil forces with an even more terrifying and forceful one”. And because the depictions of these more general wrathful spirits are of course not bound to the restrictions of the iconography of a certain specific deity, their depictions often consist of the most gruesome details their artist could come up with; the most demonic facial expressions combined with sharp teeth, a devilish pair of horns, skull ornaments etc.

Total weight of this bell strap is a heavy 923 grams and total length is 106 centimeters. Width of the denim strap is 3,1 centimeters. The strap can be closed by tying the cord ends together.

Please note; the leather strap has been quite recently greased to maintain its suppleness. The grease however hasn't been completely absorbed into the fabric yet and leaves a greasy brown residue on the skin (or clothes) it comes in contact with. It might be a good idea to take the bells off the strap and clean the excess grease of the strap first. Or of course to use only the separate bells or sew them on another strap of your choice. For this reason, the price for this bell strap is a bit lower than for the other ones in our shop.

Only one available.