Vintage Himalayan bell belt #1

Very nice black leather belt/strap with 16 large 'antique look' bells.

In traditional shamanism, bells are used for many purposes, because they can serve as houses for spirits and their sound represents the voice of those spirits. During ritual and ceremony, the sounds of the bells actively help to alter the energies in the sacred space. Their sounds and vibrations stir up the atmosphere, drive out the heavy energies, call in the helpful spirits and provide harmony and blessing.

The bells strung on this belt all have a depiction of a fierce, wrathful being on them. Wrathful beings are very prominent in the iconography of (especially) tantric Buddhism. They can be either 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) or 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.

They 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. 

The bells on this belt are made of brass and have been manually treated to attain a beautiful, dark 'antique look' patina. They have a diameter of 35 millimeters. 

Total weight of the belt is 656 grams. Measured the size when closed at its smallest, the belt measures 94 centimeters. When closed at its largest, it measures 102 centimeters. Width of the leather strap is 3 centimeters.

A belt such as this can be worn 'as is' as part of your ritual costume, but of course the bells can also be taken off the strap to use in your personal crafting or sewing purposes.

Only one belt available.