Skull Cup (Kapala) and Lid

Currently not on view

Skull Cup (Kapala) and Lid

c. 19th century

Artist/maker unknown, Tibetan

Wrathful deities often hold human skull cups that, when filled with blood, symbolize transcendent knowledge. The blood is transformed by the deity into an elixir of immortality. During rituals a skull cup may be filled with holy water, beer, or wine as an offering to wrathful deities.

Currently not on view

Object Details

Title:

Skull Cup (Kapala) and Lid

Date:

c. 19th century

Artist:

Artist/maker unknown, Tibetan

Medium:

Human skull, copper alloy, gilded copper, semiprecious stones

Dimensions:

Lid: 5 3/4 × 5 13/16 × 7 1/2 inches (14.6 × 14.8 × 19.1 cm) Bottom: 3 1/4 × 5 3/8 × 6 13/16 inches (8.3 × 13.7 × 17.3 cm)

Classification:

Containers

Credit Line:

Gift of Mrs. J. Norman Henry, 1927

Accession Number:

1927-18-8a--c

Geography:

Made in Tibet, Asia

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Currently not on view