Ethnographic Arms & Armour - View Single Post - Old Tibetan Phurba for comment or information

katana · 22nd October 2006, 05:36 PM

Hi everybody...
A Tibetan Phurba, old and large 75cms long many are only 25-30cms.
Carved wood (wood is a scarce commodity in the region), very nice patina.
Not a weapon in the accepted sense, but a 'Spiritual, weapon which maybe of interest.....

' The Shaman's ritual tool from Nepal.The Phurba, a ceremonial dagger, is a central ritual tool for all shamanic rituals-so central, in fact, that its use is rarely specified but simply presumed.While other objects of similar shape can be considered phurba, it is usually a "knife" with three distinct segments, one of which is a characteristic three sided blade or point. The segments and the triple blade represent the three spirit worlds, while the phurba as a whole symbolises the "world axis" binding all three worlds together.But it is more than a ritual object; during a healing it is the jhankari himself. During his trance, the jhankari transforms his spiritual body into a phurba and takes flight through the spirit world in this form.'

Any info or comments would be most appreciated......thankyou

22nd October 2006, 05:36 PM	#1
katana Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Kent Posts: 2,653	Old Tibetan Phurba for comment or information Hi everybody... A Tibetan Phurba, old and large 75cms long many are only 25-30cms. Carved wood (wood is a scarce commodity in the region), very nice patina. Not a weapon in the accepted sense, but a 'Spiritual, weapon which maybe of interest..... ' The Shaman's ritual tool from Nepal.The Phurba, a ceremonial dagger, is a central ritual tool for all shamanic rituals-so central, in fact, that its use is rarely specified but simply presumed.While other objects of similar shape can be considered phurba, it is usually a "knife" with three distinct segments, one of which is a characteristic three sided blade or point. The segments and the triple blade represent the three spirit worlds, while the phurba as a whole symbolises the "world axis" binding all three worlds together.But it is more than a ritual object; during a healing it is the jhankari himself. During his trance, the jhankari transforms his spiritual body into a phurba and takes flight through the spirit world in this form.' Any info or comments would be most appreciated......thankyou Attached Images