Ritual knives
  See it in the Museum
Chapel
Orientation 3
Display 5

ABR 014

 Code: ABR 014

  Country: Tibet

  Style:

  Date: 1400 - 1500

  Dimensions in cm WxHxD: 1.3 x 20.3

  Materials: Gilt iron

Ritual knife for cutting Tormas 
(skt.churi, churika; tib. chu-gri) 

Damascened iron inlaid with gold. Parcel gilt iron; inlaid with gold.

gTor ma («torma») are conical votive objects offered in Tibet during tantric rituals. Mostly made out of butter and flour they might include also other ingredients such as egg, milk, and sugar, etc. The «tormas» are dyed in various colours and are usually made for festivals and are of small size. Such «tormas» are among the offerings placed upon shrines in front of sacred images, and sometimes consumed by practitioners. This kind of ritual is of Vedic origin and pre-dates Tibetan Buddhism.

Beer, Robert , 2003. Les symboles du bouddhisme Tibétain. Albin Michel. Pp. 206-207