Fabulous Rare Pair of Antique Tibetan Shaman Phurba – Carved Deer Horn

These two antique Tibetan shaman phurba are among the finest I have encountered.  They have been exquisitely carved out of red deer horn and are believed to be 19th century or earlier.  In addition to being a shaman’s powerful energetic tools of protection and transformation they are also incredible works of art.

They are clearly a pair, or perhaps part of a larger set, and meticulously and skilfully hand carved, probably by a shaman for their own use.   Both phurba feature the large head of a wrathful deity and share many symbolic motifs in common, but with some differences too.

The larger of the two measures 28.5 cm, weighs 135 grams, and features a wrathful deity with a conch shell at the back of the head and crown of skulls mounted with a Naga.   The dorje hilt is decorated with an endless knot, lucky symbols, and a band of human skulls, below which is a fabulous sea monster Makara with nagas, leading to a blade with entwined snakes.

The smaller phurba measures 19.5 cm, weighs 76 grams, and features the same wrathful deity and conch shell head with a skull crown, but also a carved dorje, with a horse head atop.  The hilt features a band of skulls leading to another fabulous sea monster Makara with snakes, and a blade ornately carved with symbols that I can’t quite determine but might include a prayer wheel or umbrella.

A unique pair of wonderfully carved and collectable antique Tibetan phurba of the highest quality!