Ethnographic Arms & Armour - View Single Post

dennee · 24th August 2007, 03:33 AM

I believe I have seen antique karttrika (gri gug in Tibetan) with brass, bronze and iron hilts. The fact that they have a dorje hilt means that they lend themselves to cast metal as a material. Of course, some phurbas (and the ritual implements are often produced in sets) are entirely of wood, so I don't think there is necessarily a reason based in ritual that would limit the material or, as Elgood discusses with Hindu weapons, requires a different hilt metal in order to avoid the user's contact with the iron blade.

24th August 2007, 03:33 AM	#7
dennee Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: College Park, MD Posts: 186	I believe I have seen antique karttrika (gri gug in Tibetan) with brass, bronze and iron hilts. The fact that they have a dorje hilt means that they lend themselves to cast metal as a material. Of course, some phurbas (and the ritual implements are often produced in sets) are entirely of wood, so I don't think there is necessarily a reason based in ritual that would limit the material or, as Elgood discusses with Hindu weapons, requires a different hilt metal in order to avoid the user's contact with the iron blade.