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In Tantric Buddhist traditions, the curved knife is both a common attribute for wrathful deities and a ritual object used symbolically to destroy negative forces. Its form is modeled after an Indian butcher’s knife, with a crescent-shaped blade designed for flaying an animal’s skin and a sharp hook to make the initial incision. As a tool of enlightenment, it severs and strips away the layers of false knowledge inherent to ordinary existence, revealing a greater truth. Its handle has the form of a "vajra," the multipronged scepter used in Tantric Buddhist rituals. The horned animal face depicted in the relief work of this blade enhances the knife’s power, warding off dangerous forces.
Page data
- Page
- 1
- Source index
- 0
- Type
- photo
- Media ID
- 4dc4ceb715901015
- Size
- unknown
Document data
- ID
- 11294
- Core
- obj
- Type
- object
DTO data
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"title": "Curved Ritual Knife",
"description": "In Tantric Buddhist traditions, the curved knife is both a common attribute for wrathful deities and a ritual object used symbolically to destroy negative forces. Its form is modeled after an Indian butcher’s knife, with a crescent-shaped blade designed for flaying an animal’s skin and a sharp hook to make the initial incision. As a tool of enlightenment, it severs and strips away the layers of false knowledge inherent to ordinary existence, revealing a greater truth. Its handle has the form of a \"vajra,\" the multipronged scepter used in Tantric Buddhist rituals. The horned animal face depicted in the relief work of this blade enhances the knife’s power, warding off dangerous forces.",
"provenance": "Acquired by Rajumar Tuladhar; purchased by John and Berthe Ford, Baltimore February 9 1968; given to Walters Art Museum, 2016.",
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Document identity
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Document source metadata
{
"id": "11294",
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"contentType": "object",
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"title": "Curved Ritual Knife",
"description": "In Tantric Buddhist traditions, the curved knife is both a common attribute for wrathful deities and a ritual object used symbolically to destroy negative forces. Its form is modeled after an Indian butcher’s knife, with a crescent-shaped blade designed for flaying an animal’s skin and a sharp hook to make the initial incision. As a tool of enlightenment, it severs and strips away the layers of false knowledge inherent to ordinary existence, revealing a greater truth. Its handle has the form of a \"vajra,\" the multipronged scepter used in Tantric Buddhist rituals. The horned animal face depicted in the relief work of this blade enhances the knife’s power, warding off dangerous forces.",
"provenance": "Acquired by Rajumar Tuladhar; purchased by John and Berthe Ford, Baltimore February 9 1968; given to Walters Art Museum, 2016.",
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Document source extras
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Page context
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