139. VARJA EN ACIER INCRUSTÉ D'OR ET DE CUIVRE TIBET, XIIE/XIIIE SIÈCLE Himalayan Art Resources item no. 205087 19.5 cm (7 5/8 in.) high A GOLD AND COPPER INLAID STEEL VAJRA TIBET, 12TH/13TH CENTURY 西藏 十二/十三世紀 鋼錯金錯紅銅金剛杵 The vajra, or dorje, is the quintessential symbol of tantrism, signifying the 'diamond vehicle' or Vajrayana Buddhist path. The Sanskrit term means, 'the hard or mighty one,' while its name in Tibetan translates to, 'the lord of stones,' both of which underscore the indestructible, immovable, immutable qualities of the enlightened mind. This double pronged item – a mirror of each of its sides – is an early form of the implement represented with gold and copper inlay. Another 12th century example, which sold at Sotheby's, New York, 17 March 2015, lot 1041, shares many of its decorative features with the following work. Also compare with another in Henss, Buddhist Ritual Art of Tibet, Stuttgart, 2020, p. 40, no 27. Provenance: Spink & Son Ltd., London, 1990s