Finely Hand Carved Copper Alloy Silver Plated Siko Design 7" Tibetan Buddhist Kapala Set from Patan, Nepal

Kapala

The skull cup, known as kapala in Sanskrit, is fashioned from the oval upper section of a human cranium. It serves as a libation vessel for a vast number of Vajrayana deities, mostly wrathful. As a ritual implement, the selection of the right skull is of immense importance for the success of the ritual. The skull of a murder or execution victim is believed to possess the greatest tantric power; the skull of one who has died from a violent or accidental death, or from a virulent illness, possesses a medium magical power; the skull of a person who died peacefully in old age has virtually no occult power. The skull of a child who died during the onset of puberty also has great potency, as do the skulls of miscegenated or misbegotten child of unknown paternity, born from the forbidden union of castes, out of wedlock, from sexual misdemeanor, or particularly from incest. The 'misbegotten skull' of a seven or eight-year-old child born from an incestuous union is considered to possess the greatest power in certain tantric rituals. Here the vital force or potential of the skull's 'previous owner' is embodied within the bone as a spirit, rendering it as an effective power object for the performance of tantric rituals.

About this Ritual Item

These Kapala Set is made of copper alloy in siko design and silver plated decorated with colorful stones. The Kapala Set is beautifully carved  with designs of winding vines and flowers. The carving details are  done very finely throughout. This finely carved Kapala Set  is crafted by the master artisans of Patan, Nepal.