A Tibetan Gilt Copper Bronze Rock Crystal ''Kapala'' - Ritual Vessel and Cover- Tibet 19th/20th century, fire-gilt copper bronze alloy, silver, rock crystal quartz, the ritual alms bowl 'kapala' is fashioned from a single, large piece of rock crystal with three moulded wrathfull faces and a scull, placed on a decorative copper bronze alloy fire-gilt triangular stand and fitted with a matching cover of equal material with a full round vajra finial, both stand and cover are embellished with intricately worked embossed scrolling flowering tendrills and flame patterns, various lantsa characters to the base as well as three modelled silver sheet sculls to the upper part of the stand representing the three Buddhist poisons ''hatred, greed and ignorance'',measures: cover:L.c.19,5 B.c.13 H.c.12cm/ stand: Dm.c.17cm,H.c.16cm/crystal cup: L.c.22,5 B.c.13,6,H. up to c. 8,5cm/total height c.31,5cm/total weight c.3000g A kapala or ''skullcup'' is a cup usually made from a human skull used as a ritual implement (bowl) in both Hindu Tantra and Buddhist Tantra (Vajrayana)to hold ritual dough cakes or liquids, the kapala was believed to facilitate a transcendental state of thought and mind.They are also found in copper or, in rare cases, made from crystall. Provenance Private Collection Germany