Cup made from a human skull, used as a container during rituals specific to Hindu tantrism and tantric Buddhism.
This Kapala is made up of a skull with a shiny brown patina, decorated with a silver frieze with geometric shapes enhanced with turquoise inlaid in cabochon.
The interior is completely covered in silver. The bottom of the cup is decorated with a vishvavajra (symbol of “effective action par excellence”), a carnelian cabochon in its center.
REGION: Tibet
MATERIAL: bone, silver, carnelian, turquoise.
PERIOD: 20th century
DIMENSION: 18.5 x 14.5 x 8cm
Inventory number: AS080