Ritual crown
  See it in the Museum
Chapel
Orientation 5
Display 10

ABR 058

 Code: ABR 058

  Country: Tibet

  Style:

  Date: 1500 - 1600

  Dimensions in cm WxHxD: 33 x 15 x 0.5

  Materials: Papier mâché

Ritual Crown

This crown is a ritual headdress known as the “crown of the five families.” It consists of five "petals", each decorated with a wrathful deity and a Sanskrit syllable in lantsa script. They symbolise the five families of heruka. The heruka embody the wrathful aspect of the Buddhas. Each Buddha is associated with a lineage, a colour, a cardinal direction and a wisdom. Hence, each of the wrathful faces has a different colour.

This type of crown is used during certain rituals and initiations or transmissions of power. It is believed that, when wearing it, the practitioner is invested with the power and wisdom of the five families.