Rare Antique Tibetan Tamang Shaman Mala with Phurba & Conch

Antique Magical Protective Shaman Mala

This is a very rare antique Shaman Mala from the ethnic Tibetan Tamang people of Nepal, and worn for protection.  It is one of two sacred Shaman Mala that were sourced together, and is particularly unusual in featuring a carved wooden phurba and a conch shell strung between sacred Rudraksha seeds and the black seeds of the Rittha soap-nut plant.

The carved wooden phurba or magical dagger measures 18cm (7 inches) and is used in healing, grounding, protection and creating harmony, and features the three faces of a deity with an animal crown, an endless knot hilt, and a three-sided bland with nagas.   The conch shell has a carved top, measures 7.5 cm (3 inches) and is used to recall primordial memories and awaken dormant emotions embedded in the unconscious.   The combination of phurba and shell also represent both male and female energy, and timelessness.

This Mala (and its partner) probably dates from the 1800s and is in excellent condition. It is strung with 4 Rudraksha seeds and 79 black Rittha seeds, weighs 182 grams (6 ½ oz) and if opened as a single strand it would measure approximately 88 cm (35 inches).