Ritual bell with handle in the shape of the vajra

Minneapolis Institute of Art

Ritual bell with handle in the shape of the vajra

JapanLinkedCulture matchlcp-9cfc54f21d2c

Date
18th century
Medium
Bronze
Department
Asian Art
Institution
Minneapolis Institute of Art
Object ID
122532

From the Minneapolis Institute of Art record

In Esoteric Buddhist ritual, a priest places five bronze bells on the main altar table. Each bell’s handle is a unique symbolic shape. Together they represent five manifestations of the Buddha that each represents a distinct form of wisdom, the so-called Five Wisdoms of the Five Cosmic Buddhas. The bell placed at the center of the table represents Dainichi Nyorai, the Supreme Buddha of the Cosmos and possessor of complete wisdom. Its handle is shaped like a stupa, a building that holds relics and is a place for meditation. The remaining four bells, including the five-pronged version here, are placed at the four corners of the table to represent the active/unrestricted wisdom of Fukūjōju Nyorai, the mirror wisdom of Fudō Myōō, the equality wisdom of Hōshō Nyorai, and the observational wisdom of Amida Nyorai. Japan, Asia

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Provenance & credit

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Credit line
Mary Griggs Burke Collection, Gift of the Mary and Jackson Burke Foundation

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