Art of Swords

Sword
/sôrd/
Noun
1. A weapon consisting typically of a long, straight or slightly curved, pointed blade having one or two cutting edges and set into a hilt.
2. An instrument of death or destruction.

Vajra Flaying Knife Date: ca. 15th century Culture: Tibet Medium: Steel inlaid with gold and silver Dimensions: L. 22 11/16 in. (57.7 cm); W. 3 1/4 in. (8.3 cm) Classification: Metalwork  This flaying knife (Tibetan: triguk; Sanskrit: kartrika) is styled in the Indian manner—with a long, hooked steel blade for both butchering and flaying. A vajra, symbol par excellence of Tibetan Vajrayana Buddhism, forms the handle. The lower “thunderbolt” emblem metamorphoses into a wide-jawed sea monster (makara), from which issues the blade, finely damascened with gold and silver and displaying an interlacing floral design. Workshops in the region of Derge, Kham Province, in eastern Tibet, excelled in such fine metalworking techniques, providing the probable source for this knife. Source & Copyright: Metropolitan Museum of Art 

Vajra Flaying Knife

  • Date: ca. 15th century
  • Culture: Tibet
  • Medium: Steel inlaid with gold and silver
  • Dimensions: L. 22 11/16 in. (57.7 cm); W. 3 1/4 in. (8.3 cm)
  • Classification: Metalwork 

This flaying knife (Tibetan: triguk; Sanskrit: kartrika) is styled in the Indian manner—with a long, hooked steel blade for both butchering and flaying. A vajra, symbol par excellence of Tibetan Vajrayana Buddhism, forms the handle.

The lower “thunderbolt” emblem metamorphoses into a wide-jawed sea monster (makara), from which issues the blade, finely damascened with gold and silver and displaying an interlacing floral design.

Workshops in the region of Derge, Kham Province, in eastern Tibet, excelled in such fine metalworking techniques, providing the probable source for this knife.

Source & Copyright: Metropolitan Museum of Art 

Posted May 16, 2012 at 10:12 am 148 notes

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