Skip to Main Content

Three-pronged Vajra Pestle (Sankosho)

early 1300s
(1185–1333)
gilt bronze
Overall: 17.5 x 5 cm (6 7/8 x 1 15/16 in.)
Gift of Dr. Richard G. Paley 1974.264
Location: not on view
You can copy, modify, and distribute this work, all without asking permission. Learn more about CMA's Open Access Initiative.

Download, Print and Share

Did You Know?

The vajra is said to tear through ignorance like a powerful thunderbolt.

Description

Called a vajra in Sanskrit, a pestle of this kind is an Esoteric Buddhist ritual implement derived from the thunderbolt held by the Indian Vedic god Indra. The round forms along the center of the handle, known as demon eyes, are rather compressed in this example, and the lotus petal shapes near the prongs are quite sharply delineated.
Three-pronged Vajra Pestle (Sankosho)

Three-pronged Vajra Pestle (Sankosho)

early 1300s

Japan, Kamakura period (1185–1333)

See Also

Visually Similar Artworks

Contact us

The information about this object, including provenance, may not be currently accurate. If you notice a mistake or have additional information about this object, please email collectionsdata@clevelandart.org.

To request more information about this object, study images, or bibliography, contact the Ingalls Library Reference Desk.

All images and data available through Open Access can be downloaded for free. For images not available through Open Access, a detail image, or any image with a color bar, request a digital file from Image Services.