Skull CIRCA: 1800’s / 19th C.
Base CIRCA: 1500’s / 16th C.
A kapala is a ritual cup made from the upper cranium of the human skull (the word kapala is actually a Sanskrit term that translates as skull) that has been collected from a ‘sky burial’ site*. They are used in Tibetan Vajrayana Buddhism (and also Hinduism) for tantric practices where the impurities of everyday passions are exorcised and transmuted into forces for compassion and wisdom. The use of human remains was also a reminder of the impermanence of the physical body and the importance of non-attachment in life. According to certain tantric texts the skulls of senior lamas who had reached an enlightened state were especially sought after, but difficult to obtain.
This simple type of unadorned kapala – with only a lining of hammered silver, as opposed to some that are adorned with precious metals and inlaid with precious stones – was favoured by the more ascetically minded practitioners and exemplifies humility in both life and death and the freedom from material trappings. The bronze base stand, which is much older than the skull, was made using the lost wax casting technique**, either in Tibet or Nepal circa the 16th century, and has a lustrous burnished patina from long term repeated handing / use. The petaled-like top represents an open flower, probably meant to exemplify a lotus, while around the ‘neck’ of the stand a serpent is coiled and atop each of the three ‘legs’ rests a skull. This set of cup and stand are a collectors item and the size of both are shown at right. ALREADY SOLD.
*Sky burials are an ancient Tibetan custom where the bodies of the dead are dismembered and scattered over specific open areas, and is considered a compassionate Buddhist act of charity and kindness of the dead human form to birds, especially vultures, and other scavenging animals. For a detailed explanation see https://www.thelivingurn.com/blogs/news/everything-you-need-to-know-about-the-tibetan-sky-burial or https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sky_burial
**Lost wax casting first involves constructing a mold around a sacrificial wax model. After the mold is set, the wax is melted out and forms a cavity where the molten metal (or glass) can be poured in. See here for more information https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lost-wax_casting