1
100 NOTES: 1. For the symbolism of the vajra hammer see Beer 2004, p.304, 305; Thurman/Weldon 1999, p.134, 135, no.61. 2. Thurman/Weldon, op.cit., p.134. 3. For an example with a Yongle reign mark see exhibition catalog “Rituels tibétains”. Visions secrètes du Ve Dalai Lama, Musée national des Arts asiatiques – Guimet, Paris 2002, p.148, no.109. Another vajra hammer of this type but without a reign mark is now in the Rubin Museum, New York (inv.-no. C2005.16.7/HAR 65429). 31. VAJRA HAMMER Iron with gold and silver overlay Tibeto-Chinese Ming, ca. first half of the 15 th century Length 36.2 cm ( 14.25 in.) As other ritual implements, which originally were conceived as weapons, this vajra hammer (Skt. vajramudgara; Tib. rdo rje tho ba) is made of iron and is lavishly adorned with various designs applied in gold and silver overlay. The cylindrical, slightly tapering handle, which incorporates a sphere, a lotus capital and a five-pointed half-vajra at its end, displays a decoration composed of various elements: floral motifs, clouds, bands with swastikas, geometric patterns and scrollwork. At the front of the implement, a flattened sphere connects the solid cast octagonal head of the hammer, ornamented with vertical strings of pearls and hanging pendants, with a further vajra-terminal at the top and a spherical knob at the front. Conceived as an implement of fierce rituals, the vajra hammer symbolizes the relentless capability of critical wisdom to smash all aspects of ignorance. 1 The vajramudgara plays an important role in purification ceremonies along with kilas, where it is used to hammer the daggers into their triangular stands, thereby destroying negative forces and establishing a purified sacred space in which a ritual may be preformed. 2 This splendid example can be compared to two other, slightly larger vajramudgaras with identical decoration, one of which bears a Yongle reign mark. 3 It is likely that the present vajra hammer was also produced in the imperial Ming workshops during the first decades of the 15 th century. PUBLISHED: Hassan, Mehmet. The Art of Central Asia, China and Tibet, (catalog for The International Asian Art Fair, New York March 2005), Bangkok 2005, p.50, 51, no.23; Bigler, Robert R. Art and Faith at the Crossroads. Tibeto-Chinese Buddhist Images and Ritual Implements from the 12 th to the 15 th Century, Zurich 2013, pp.122, no.48.
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