Minneapolis Institute of Art

Khatamka ritual staff

China

Date

18th century

Medium

Silver, gold, and turquoise

Department

Asian Art

Institution

Minneapolis Institute of Art

A ritual staff, or khatamka ( khaṭvāṅga in Sanskrit), is held in the crook of the left arm of Vajrayana Buddhist practitioners during ceremonies. It symbolizes the triumph of wisdom over illusion. The shaft is topped by a vajra , the thunderbolt of instant enlightenment. Below are three impaled heads in varying states of decay: a skull, or “dry” head, signals the conquest of ignorance; the “damp” head signals the victory over hate; and the “fresh-cut” head signals the stopping of desire. The arrangement also symbolizes the life cycle and the attainment of pure body, speech, and mind. Below the three heads is a vajra -cross, representing the four purified elements: earth, water, fire, and air. China, Asia

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