16th Oct, 2025 11:00
TWO-DAY AUCTION: Fine Asian Art, Buddhism and Hinduism
33
A KAPALA (SKULL CUP) WITH SEPARATE COPPER ALLOY COVER AND STAND, TIBET, 18TH-19TH CENTURY
Sold for €11,700
including Buyer's Premium
The sacrificial vessel is fashioned from the upper portion of a human skull, its interior and rim lined with copper.
The cranium rests on a triangular copper stand, symbolizing the burning of the three poisons of the mind—greed, hatred, and pride. Each corner of the base is adorned with a sculpted human head, inlaid with turquoise and encircled by double-lotus bands and openwork flames.
The skull is surmounted by a domed lid, decorated with four dakinis and Lantsa characters amid a stylized landscape of lotus blossoms, and crowned with a five-pronged vajra. (3)
Provenance: An old private collection in Germany, acquired in China during the Boxer Rebellion and thence by descent in the same family. Nagel Stuttgart, 17 May 2006, lot 1580. A private collection in Germany, acquired from the above and thence by descent.
Condition: Good condition with expected wear, traces of use, and casting irregularities. Sparse minute nicks, light surface scratches, and few small dents. Minor losses to inlays, some possibly renewed. The vajra handle slightly loose. The bronze with a fine, naturally grown, dark patina.
Weight: 2,790 g
Dimensions: Height 26.2 cm
This ritual vessel, fashioned from the upper portion of a human skull, is used in tantric Buddhist traditions of Tibet and the Himalayan regions. It symbolizes impermanence and the transformation of death into wisdom and emptiness, central concepts in Buddhist philosophy. In practice, the skull cup holds consecrated offerings—such as alcohol, tea, or symbolic substitutes—that are ritually transformed into nectar (amrita), embodying enlightened bliss. The elaborate metalwork of its cover and stand complements the practitioner’s internal visualizations, in which substances are purified and transmuted through sacred syllables, fire imagery, and the presence of deities.
Literature comparison:
Compare a closely related kapala dated 18th-19th century, 30.4 cm high, in the Walters Art Museum, accession number 54.1630. Compare a closely related kapala dated to the 19th century, 28.2 cm high, in the British Museum, registration number 1931,1124.1.a.
Auction result comparison:
Type: Closely related
Auction: Christie’s Paris, 11 December 2013, lot 37
Price: EUR 17,500 or approx. EUR 18,500 adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: Kapala shaped with a skull, its lid and a gilt bronze base, Tibet, 19th century or earlier
Expert remark: Compare the closely related form and decoration. Note the similar size (29.5 cm).
The sacrificial vessel is fashioned from the upper portion of a human skull, its interior and rim lined with copper.
The cranium rests on a triangular copper stand, symbolizing the burning of the three poisons of the mind—greed, hatred, and pride. Each corner of the base is adorned with a sculpted human head, inlaid with turquoise and encircled by double-lotus bands and openwork flames.
The skull is surmounted by a domed lid, decorated with four dakinis and Lantsa characters amid a stylized landscape of lotus blossoms, and crowned with a five-pronged vajra. (3)
Provenance: An old private collection in Germany, acquired in China during the Boxer Rebellion and thence by descent in the same family. Nagel Stuttgart, 17 May 2006, lot 1580. A private collection in Germany, acquired from the above and thence by descent.
Condition: Good condition with expected wear, traces of use, and casting irregularities. Sparse minute nicks, light surface scratches, and few small dents. Minor losses to inlays, some possibly renewed. The vajra handle slightly loose. The bronze with a fine, naturally grown, dark patina.
Weight: 2,790 g
Dimensions: Height 26.2 cm
This ritual vessel, fashioned from the upper portion of a human skull, is used in tantric Buddhist traditions of Tibet and the Himalayan regions. It symbolizes impermanence and the transformation of death into wisdom and emptiness, central concepts in Buddhist philosophy. In practice, the skull cup holds consecrated offerings—such as alcohol, tea, or symbolic substitutes—that are ritually transformed into nectar (amrita), embodying enlightened bliss. The elaborate metalwork of its cover and stand complements the practitioner’s internal visualizations, in which substances are purified and transmuted through sacred syllables, fire imagery, and the presence of deities.
Literature comparison:
Compare a closely related kapala dated 18th-19th century, 30.4 cm high, in the Walters Art Museum, accession number 54.1630. Compare a closely related kapala dated to the 19th century, 28.2 cm high, in the British Museum, registration number 1931,1124.1.a.
Auction result comparison:
Type: Closely related
Auction: Christie’s Paris, 11 December 2013, lot 37
Price: EUR 17,500 or approx. EUR 18,500 adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: Kapala shaped with a skull, its lid and a gilt bronze base, Tibet, 19th century or earlier
Expert remark: Compare the closely related form and decoration. Note the similar size (29.5 cm).
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