Tibetan Bell and Dorje with Case

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In Vajrayana Buddhism the use of bell and dorje differs as per the ritual and sadhana. The vajra can be used for evocation of deities and ringing the bell can be used to request protection from a deity. Further, one example of their use, during meditation on the Buddha Vajrasattva, the vajra is placed on the chest of the practitioner, meaning that Vajrasattva is brought to the meditator, and they become one and inseparable. Ringing the bell then represents the sound of the Buddha teaching the Dharma and symbolizes the attainment of wisdom and the understanding of emptiness.

The present bell and vajra are in a copper case. The cover is decorated with vishva-vajra, garuda and eight auspicious symbols. The brass vajra has nine prongs on top and bottom. On the top half, the straight middle prong widens about two-thirds down from the point. Each of the eight outside curved prongs comes out the mouth of a makara, symbolizing that all beings are held by the vajra in the grip of compassion. Below the prongs are lotus petals. The center of the vajra is rounded and is supposed to represent the face of the yab, or father, the face of the compassion, but the face is never depicted. The bottom half duplicates the upper half of the vajra, except that the middle prong has no widened portion. The meaning of nine-prongs vajra has been interpreted different ways. The top prongs represent the Five Cosmic Buddhas and four dakinis. Moreover, nine-prongs vajra also represent the Eight Bodhisattva with Vairochana Buddha as the ninth central prong. The bottom eight prongs are variously interpreted as the Eight Bodhisattvas with Vajrasattva in the center. It is believed that vajra evolved from the representation of the trident-shaped thunder-bolt scepter of the Brahmancal god Indra, thus the vajra sometimes called thunderbolt. Mahayana texts interpret the vajra as an indestructible, supernatural substance, hard as a diamond and transparent.

The bell, made of fine-quality of metal alloy, is surmounted by a nine-pronged half vajra similar in design to the accompanying vajra. Below the upper prongs is the head of a crowned wisdom deity, representing the yum, or mother, and below the head is a lotus flower. A small shaft is attached to the bell. Around the top of the bell are eight lotus petals with the seed syllables of the dakinis of the eight directions written in the middle of each petal. Below the petals is a belt of sixteen horizontal vajras. Then Five Cosmic Buddhas are depicted and in-between syllable mantras, auspicious symbols with vajra and vishva-vajra are depictecd. A large belt of forty-four vertical vajras with one vishva-vajra within two narrow rows of small beads encircles the bell where it widens at the mouth. The band at the bottom is smooth. Inside the bell a brass clapper is attached with a leather thong to the top. The raised outline of the eight lotus petals and the syllable mantra are visible.

The present museum quality bell and vajra are the creation of a skillful hand; it is very much suitable for esoteric practice and sadhana.

This description is by Dr. Shailendra K. Verma, whose Doctorate thesis is on “Emergence and Evolution of the Buddha Image (From its inception to 8th century A.D.)”.

How are Nepalese copper statues made?

Nepalese statues and sculptures are best known for their unique small religious figures and ritual paraphernalia for over two thousand years. These are mainly cast in copper alloy. Nepal draws influences from the artistic styles of Buddhism and Hinduism, and therefore the sculptors of the country specialize in making the icons of both these religions. Over the years, Nepalese sculptures evolved into their own distinctive iconography. Some characteristic features of these sculptures that differ from other pieces are exaggerated physical postures, youthful and sensual features, languid eyes, wider faces having serene expressions, and ornate flourishes. The Buddhist deity icons of Nepal have tremendous demand in countries such as China and Tibet for ritual purposes in their temples and monasteries.

Nepalese statues and sculptures have a high copper content and therefore develop a slightly reddish patina on the surface as they age. However, the most unique feature of Nepalese copper statues is their decorative detailing. The pieces are heavily gilded and sometimes inlaid with semi-precious stones. This embellishment protects them from getting tarnished. The traditional lost-wax method for casting Nepalese copper statues remains the most practiced technique in Nepal for many centuries. This process involves many steps and requires skilled artists.

The first step in lost-wax sculpting is to make a wax replica of the desired Buddhist deity to be cast in copper. This replica is created by hand and therefore needs excellent artistic skills otherwise fine features will be lacking.

Once the wax replica is made, it is then coated with a special mixture of clay with a brush. This layer of clay is hardened when left to dry. A small hole is made on the base of the wax mould so that the wax flows away when it is heated.

At this stage, a hollow mould in the shape of the deity is obtained.

This is the time to pour liquid copper into the hollow mould which is then allowed to cool and harden inside a container of cold water. When the liquid metal has hardened, the mould is removed and the statue within is revealed.

The artist works on the details of the statue using various tools. It is then polished to get a shiny and lustrous surface.

Now comes the most important part of Nepalese art which is gold gilding. This is done by the traditional fire gilding method. A mixture of mercury and 18K gold is applied on the surface of the statue and heat is applied using a flame torch. The result is that mercury evaporates along with impurities, leaving a pure 24K gold finish.

The lost-wax method of sculpting is the most preferred technique

for artists to cast a metallic statue having intricate details. Since Nepalese copper sculptures require extraneous effort for giving a majestic look by adding special embellishments, it takes several weeks to complete one masterpiece. A 24K gold gilded copper sculpture retains its brilliant luster for many years and appears as like before. Nepalese sculptures continue to remain one of the finest specimens of the art of the East that have a strong aesthetic appeal that other sculptures cannot match.