18th Century Tibetan Kapala

A Sanskrit term meaning “skull,” this 18th-century kapala incorporates a human skull into the bowl of a ritual vessel. According to ancient Tibetan custom, skulls for this purpose were collected at burial sites, where remains were scattered to assist the soul in reincarnation. Once anointed and consecrated, the skulls were decorated with carvings, jewels and metalwork and set into an elaborate mounting to form a vessel. Used to hold ritual dough cakes or liquids, the kapala was believed to facilitate a transcendental state of thought and mind. This kapala is embellished with intricately worked silver and brass and encrusted with turquoise and coral.