Buddhist Antiques, Asian and Indian Artifacts, Ritual Cabinet

Tantric Antique for Storage of Sacred Buddhist Texts

Tantric Ritual Cabinet

Such cabinets are used for the storage of sacred Buddhist texts and ritual items. This large cabinet has four central panels displaying strong tantric imagery of flayed human skins. The represents the slain enemies of ignorance and hatred. In the ochre yellow background behind each skin various items are illustrated including skull caps, snakes, vajra handled knives and daggers.

The remaining smaller panels show benign auspicious animals: snow lions, makaras and phoenix. Also two panels show the ten interlocking syllables of the Kalachakra mantra used in Vajrayana Buddhist practice.