Ritual Sword
20th century
Asia: China, Tibet
Not on View

As a symbolic weapon, the sword represents the triumph of enlightenment over ignorance. The blade slices through the delusion of self, negative emotions and actions that create suffering. A wrathful deity usually holds such a sword in the right hand. This particular sword has a vajra, or thunderbolt, handle, with two severed heads and a skull on the blade.

Details

  • Title: Ritual Sword
  • Date: 20th century
  • Medium: Wood with traces of pigment
  • Dimensions: 31-1/2 x 3-1/4 in. (80.01 x 1.29 cm.)
  • Credit Line: Norton Simon Museum, Estate of Armand J. Labbé, in memory of his parents, Gertrude and Armand Labbé
  • Accession Number: P.2006.02.10
  • Copyright: © Norton Simon Museum

Object Information

Divine Demons: Wrathful Deities of Buddhist Art

  • Norton Simon Museum, 2009-08-14 to 2010-03-08

In the Land of Snow: Buddhist Art of the Himalayas

  • Norton Simon Museum, 2014-03-28 to 2014-08-25

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