kapala Skull cap

Originally, kapalas were human skull caps that were used by Tibetan and Buddhist monks in esoteric rituals. The use of the cranial cap, or calvaria, was to hold ceremonial items like herbs, wine, and blood for sacred ceremonies. Originally, a monk would collect the skull of a deceased person from their ancestral burial site and clean it via fire! From there, the skull cap would be adorned in silver, jewels, and other materials. Due to an intense interest from travelers, they expanded to decorating full human skulls and sold/traded them as high end art pieces to people outside of their religion. This antique kapala has been ornately decorated with sterling silver and is truly an impressive specimen. It is quite rare to find these in such amazing condition. This would make a stunning centerpiece for any collection.