Materials:

Turquoise

Coral

Lapis lazuli

Beryl/ruby

Gold-plated copper

Dimensions & Weight:

Height: 9 inches

Diameter: 6 inches

Weight: 1.25 kilograms

Shipping Origin: Kathmandu, Nepal

Description:

Master Nepali craftsman created this extraordinary Gulpa pot, inlaid with turquoise, coral, and lapis lazuli. The intricate filigree copper work on this piece is gold-plated. The hinged lid and bottom of the Gulpa reveal carved semi-precious stone figures, and rests on a base ringed by carved turquoise. Utilized for Buddhist offerings or as a beautiful storage jar, this magnificent piece is a must have for any serious collector or devout Buddhist practitioner.

On the exterior of the Gulpa are: Six-Armed Black Mahakala, a protector deity, who represents the ultimate destructive power and is not bounded by any rules or regulations; he has the power to dissolve even time and space into themselves and exists as a void at the dissolution of the universe. Two-Armed Black Mahakala, the form by which the sufferings of sentient beings are removed. Vajrapani, the protector and guide of Gautama Buddha who symbolizes the Buddha’s power; he is called the Master of Unfathomable Mysteries who upholds truth even in adversities of darkness and ignorance. And finally, the face of a garuda-child, Chhepu, the “Mask of Protection.”

Underneath the hinged lid is the sword-wielding protective deity, Khadgapani, one of the earliest bodhisattvas of Mahayana Buddhism. He is the guardian and guide of religious mysticism and rose to symbolize the Buddha’s power.

Inside the bottom of the Gulpa is Chakrasamvara embracing his yogini consort Vajravarahi. These are key deities in the Vajrayana system, uniting two of the most powerful ideas in Buddhism, wisdom, embodied in Vajravarhi, and compassion, the essence of Chakrasamvara. His name, which translates as “Circle of Bliss,” embodies the powerful union of these two fundamental tenets of Buddhism.