RITUAL KAPALA

This kapala is made from a real ram’s skull, preserving its spiral horns, and transformed into a ritual object by refined metal ornamentation. The bone surface is partially covered with chased and repoussé silver plates, decorated with floral motifs and scrollwork, complemented by colored glass cabochons (red, green, blue) set in circular bezels.

The impressive, curved horns are entirely dotted with stamped silver discs depicting stylized human skulls, arranged in series like a macabre garland. This recurring motif serves as a powerful visual reminder of death and impermanence, in direct echo of the kapala’s function in tantric rituals.

The forehead and lateral parts are also covered with smooth and chased silver plates, sometimes in relief, giving the skull an almost masked appearance. The metallic decorative elements, combined with the colored glass inlays, give the whole piece an appearance at once precious and formidable.

In Tibetan tantric tradition, the kapala is used as a vessel for symbolic offerings, particularly ritual liquids, during practices dedicated to fierce and protective deities. Here, the combination of the ram’s skull, a symbol of strength and sacrifice, and the multiple miniature silver skulls conveys a visual meditation on transcended death and spiritual power.

PERIOD: Tibet, 19th – early 20th century
DIMENSIONS: 48 cm x 27 cm
SIZE: 18.9" x 10.6"

Kapalas are ritual skulls used in tantric Buddhism, particularly in Tibetan Vajrayāna. Traditionally fashioned from real human skulls, they serve as sacred cups intended for symbolic offerings. Often mounted in silver, gilt copper or brass, and inlaid with semi-precious stones, their main function is to appease or invoke fierce and protective deities during esoteric rituals. The kapala embodies meditation on impermanence and the transformation of death into spiritual power. Some examples are richly decorated with symbolic motifs, such as miniature skulls, flames or lotus flowers. Today, these ritual objects arouse great historical and artistic interest, and many of them were once collected in Europe, integrated into cabinets of curiosities, where they stood alongside exotic relics, fossils and scientific objects, while retaining a strong spiritual significance.