Skull Bowl

CHINA; Qing dynasty

This human skull bowl was a gift to Emperor Qianlong (reigned 1736–1795) of the Qing dynasty from Yeshe Lobzang Tenpai Gonpo in 1793. It is a ritual vessel used in Tibetan Vajrayana practice.
The bowl rests upon a Sumeru base, which itself stands on a square base. The two sections of the base have lotus patterns in repoussé. The concave part of the Sumeru base is decorated with a ring of turquoise beads, with a head of the Buddha attached in three places. The whole unit is 22.2 cm high, while the bowl itself is 8.2 cm high. In the center of the lid, there is a flame-shaped knob inlaid with three jewels. The lid is decorated with lotuses and the eight auspicious symbols in repoussé, and the mouth of the bowl and the interior are gilded.
On the back of the skull, there are two deep brown marks that look like the Sanskrit seed syllables “om” and “hum.” According to the Vajrayana tradition, such marks appeared on the skulls of highly cultivated monks and were regarded as a great blessing. On the bottom of the base, there is a long inscription in Chinese, Manchu, Mongolian, and Tibetan detailing the provenance of the skull and stating its weight.