Buddhist sculpture (phurba)

And who is depicted on the phurba?

 

Yes, I noticed the Tibetan text, but can't read it. The figure could have been the protector of the northeast.

It is difficult to say for sure. since he has no head, but I think it could be Mahakala. Mahakala heads are often featured on phurbas. Mahakala is generally depicted as a chubby deity.

I think I once learned that Mahakala is the protector of the north or northeast, but I am not entirely sure.

 

I was learning about this city of Arvaykhair, it is an ancient city on the site of the city of Karakorum. Karakorum was the Mongol capital in the 13th century. during the Yuan Dynasty. Then, after the coming of the Ming Dynasty, everything was defeated and everything was destroyed.
There is an Erdeni-Dzu temple nearby, built in 1579. It is the largest religious, cultural and political center of medieval Mongolia. There were famous monks (residents of the monastery) Dzanabadzar and Dagvadarzha.
It is very difficult to find out the history of phurba. I would like to know what period of phurba..

 

My guess is 18th century, but I am not an expert.

The Fine Arts Zanabazar Museum in Ulaan Baatar is devoted to Mongolian art, especially the Zanabazar style. If anyone knows, they do:
http://en.zanabazarmuseum.mn/

You can contact them:
thefamuseum@gmail.com

And it is really worth browsing through their site.

 

Thank you. Let's wait, maybe there will be more opinions from forum members? Maybe there are those who understand sculptures..

 

Any Jewelry is the one I would ask about an item such as yours. If you contact Zanabazar Museum, please let update this thread if you get more information.

 

I agree fully with kentworld. You got the best member to answer you regarding such an item. Any long standing member would want AJ’s opinion. Her knowledge regarding such things are astounding. She is regarded as one of our in-house experts.

 

Yes, I will let you know if there is a response.

I just haven't found the same phurba. I searched for a very long time. There is a similar phurba in one engraving.

P.S. today I'm going to do an analysis of the Phurba metal with an X-ray fluorescence device...

 

We did an analysis with a device on a slice inside where the arms and head are split off ...
I don't understand why this result is with gold..

https://postimg.cc/gallery/5YtSZTb

 

It isn't mass production.
Waist-up Mahakala phurbas are still being made. They may not be exactly the same as yours, but they have the same power and symbolism.

A few recently made traditional ones:

https://enlightenmentthangka.com/products/mahakala-phurba

https://enlightenmentthangka.com/products/mahakala-phurba-the-wrathful-compassion-dagger-363177683

https://evamratna.com/products/mahakala-phurba

Traditional Buddhist ritual items are made using an alloy of seven metals from seven sacred sources. Gold and silver are often included in the alloy, and your phurba probably has minute traces of silver as well. Percentages depend on the locality.

By slice, do you mean you cut off a piece? I sincerely hope you didn't deface an antique, and one with spiritual value.

What you found out with the test was the alloy and its percentages, which are pretty much the same in later items, because of the seven sacred metals. The Zanabazar Museum could have told you the same, but they could also have told you facts that are much more relevant to your phurba.

 

No, of course I didn't cut anything off, just a test was performed on the areas where the shape is broken. That is, not from the surface of the bulb, but from the metal inside.

 

We have had people here who damaged their items just to 'test' something, that's why I asked. Those tests were generally superfluous.

 

Hello everyone, in general I managed to consult with many people, both museums and specialists, and I am still waiting for answers from several specialists and the museum.

Everyone translates the inscription on the back as northeast and everyone says that this Phurba is from the protective circle of the Nyingma school mandala. No one has seen inscriptions on the back of similar Phurba before.

Also, 4 edges of the blade are a huge rarity. Similar Phurbas have three.

The body itself may belong to either Hayagriva or Vajrkilaya.

Regarding the dating, everyone says that this is definitely not later than the 18th century, but they say this cautiously, but most likely the Phurba is from the 17th-16th century. This is naturally a tebet with Chinese influence.

Where the hole is on the back, that is where the wings were attached.

They say that the Phurba is very significant and amazing. But still, additional research is needed.

P.S I personally have not found any phurba with exactly the same body that I have attached photos of, they are all somehow static, there is no plasticity, unlike mine.

I am attaching photos of similar Phurbas and just sculptures.

https://postimg.cc/gallery/9XfdJy6

 

I'll raise the topic...maybe someone can recommend any works or treatises on phurba specifically from the 19th century or earlier? Were there such books at all? They just said maybe this phurba was mentioned somewhere or there are photos of it before the defects. Since the phurba is not simple.

 

In general, I'm thinking of going to Mongolia personally...an adventurous idea

 

The books I know that are specifically about the phurba deal with the phurba cult and rituals.
Of course you can find phurbas as an art form in more general books on Tibetan and/or Mongolian Buddhist art.

When you said it was found in a desert area, I assumed it was excavated, and damaged as so many archaeological finds are.
Did someone say it was known to have been in a specific monastery or (museum) collection? It would be nice if they had proof, or at least clues.

 

Nobody says anything concrete. Everyone just guesses. They say that maybe the phurba has some relation to the Erdeni-dzu monastery. Or to the Amarbayasgalant monastery. But these are just guesses. Someone said that maybe the head and other parts remained in the place where the phurba was found)) but that was almost 50 years ago and the specific place has already been forgotten.

 

This phurba was found absolutely by accident after an armored vehicle (tank) passed by.

 

I see, so it was probably under the sand and exposed when the armored vehicle drove through that particular spot.

You deleted the photos, but from what I remember the breaks were old, certainly older than 50 years. Maybe it was discarded because it was damaged and the power presumed gone. But that too is just guesswork.

 

Yes, it was broken not when the armored vehicle passed by, but much earlier. In general, there are only mysteries with the phurba. Therefore, of course, we want to know its history.