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THB19th C. Tibetan Ritual Cup / Kapala (Skull)
Lot 121
About Seller
Artemis Gallery
686 S Taylor Ave, Ste 106
Louisville, CO 80027
United States
Selling antiquities, ancient and ethnographic art online since 1993, Artemis Gallery specializes in Classical Antiquities (Egyptian, Greek, Roman, Near Eastern), Asian, Pre-Columbian, African / Tribal / Oceanographic art. Our extensive inventory includes pottery, stone, metal, wood, glass and textil...Read more
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Live Auction in Progress ... Currently on Lot Estimate:
$2,800 - $4,800
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| Price | Bid Increment |
|---|---|
| $0 | $25 |
| $300 | $50 |
| $1,000 | $100 |
| $2,000 | $250 |
| $5,000 | $500 |
| $10,000 | $1,000 |
| $20,000 | $2,500 |
| $50,000 | $5,000 |
| $100,000 | $10,000 |
| $200,000 | $20,000 |
About Auction
Live
By Artemis Gallery
May 11, 2023
Set Reminder
2023-05-11 10:00:00
2023-05-11 10:00:00
America/New_York
Bidsquare
Bidsquare : Fine Antiquities, Asian, Pre-Columbian, Ethnographic Art
https://www.bidsquare.com/auctions/artemis-gallery/fine-antiquities-asian-pre-columbian-ethnographic-art-12771
Classical antiquities, ancient and ethnographic art from cultures encompassing the globe. Artemis Gallery info@artemisgallery.com
Classical antiquities, ancient and ethnographic art from cultures encompassing the globe. Artemis Gallery info@artemisgallery.com
View Full Catalog (349)
- Lot Description
**Originally Listed At $1500**
Central Asia, Tibet, ca. late 19th to mid-20th century CE. A kapala, a ritual cup made from a human bone from the skull-cap, the surface highly polished along the cut rim. Kapala are ritual cups used in both Hinduism and Tantric (Vajrayana) Buddhism. The translation of kapala in Sanskrit is "skull." Though many kapala are adorned with precious metals, carved surfaces, and inlaid precious stones, this is a modest example which exemplifies humility in both life and death. Size: 7" L x 5" W x 3.2" H (17.8 cm x 12.7 cm x 8.1 cm)
Objects are often made from skulls stripped of their flesh in sky burials, the compassionate Buddhist offering of the dead human form to local birds and other animals. Kapala and other ceremonial objects made from bone are part of the Tantric practice of reflection upon decay and the corruption of the corporeal form, as well as the desire to destroy the duality of attractiveness versus repulsion. Monks and yogis in this religion often meditate in graveyards or near the mountaintop sites of sky burials, surrounded by the unavoidable physicality of death. Much of Vajrayana Buddhism iconography is focused on blood, corpses, and bones which is a deliberate attempt to destroy the karmic hindrances that might bind a soul to this earthly life and prevent it from achieving enlightenment.
This item cannot be shipped to Georgia, Louisiana, or Tennessee. Please be advised that international shipping may have additional restrictions on some material. It is the customer's responsibility to be aware of their own local laws.
Provenance: private Hawaii, USA collection; ex-Johnson collection
All items legal to buy/sell under U.S. Statute covering cultural patrimony Code 2600, CHAPTER 14, and are guaranteed to be as described or your money back.
A Certificate of Authenticity will accompany all winning bids.
We ship worldwide and handle all shipping in-house for your convenience.
#177596Intact and excellent. Minor surface nicks. Smooth and lustrous.Condition
- Shipping Info
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All shipping is handled in-house for your convenience. Your invoice from Artemis Gallery will include shipping calculation instructions. If in doubt, please inquire BEFORE bidding for estimated shipping costs for individual items. In most cases Artemis Gallery cannot ship to Australia and Germany, please inquire before bidding.
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