Ritual Bone Apron (Image)
Bone and various strings (mostly cotton)
29.5 x 16.5 inches (as displayed)
Various dates, Ca. 18th century?
Museum #: 91.001.003
By Natalie R. Marsh
10 May, 1998
Bone aprons such as this ca. 18th century example in the SAMA collection were
worn as ritual garments meant to vivify the practitioner or priest during
Tantric ceremonial practices. The significance of wearing such ornamentation
symbolizes one's own death and the necessary release of one's attachment to the
human physical body in order to effectively pursue enlightenment. This is
further reified in the use of human bones collected from charnel fields and
carved into the beads shown. A set of six bone ornaments, including the apron,
worn by certain Tantric deities, symbolize the six paramitas, or
perfections, necessary for the attainment of enlightenment.1
The full iconographic program of this damaged apron is unclear, though certain
elements are identifiable. The third and fourth large carved plaques from the
left along the waistband depict two standard dakinis with left hands in
vitarka mudra, and holding a kapala, or a skull cup, in their right
hands. In the second large plaque from the left a multi-armed esoteric Tantric
deity is carved in relief. The small medallions interspersed with strands of
plain beads represent lotuses; the crescent moon and sun, a symbol of the union
of male and female ubiquitous in Tantric art; floral motifs; and two apsaras,
one bearing a garland and the other carrying what may be a small bowl of sweets.
In other published examples of this type of apron, the medallions would also
depict the full set of the astamangala, the eight auspicious symbols of
Buddhism.
Since they were repeatedly worn in ritual pageants it is likely that these
delicate pieces were frequently restrung and repaired with new beads and carved
plaques. In fact, the style of the three largest central carved plaques at the
waist, the uncommon arrangement of the figures, and the uneven beadwork of the
net-like skirt, indicate that sections of a single apron were rearranged after
having been broken or are combined portions from two or more separate aprons.
The figure in the second plaque to the left, because he or she is a multi-armed
Tantric deity, would more likely be flanked by generalized dakinis, rather than
positioned on a single side of the lesser important goddesses. In addition, the
lower segment of the plaque depicting the multi-armed deity is carved with a
pattern that differs from the two dakini plaques, indicating the possibility of
a different hand or the combining of plaques from different aprons. The small
five-petaled lotus plaques that edge the apron also vary slightly in style.
Other published examples of bone aprons provide evidence that there is no known
regularized structure to the number of plaques and tiers of medallions.2
1 Huntington, John C., Leaves from the Bodhi Tree, 537.
2 Pal, P. Tibet: Tradition and Change, 170-171 and Pal, P. , 123-124,
References:
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