Tibetan Old Iron Phurba (16.3 cm long) from the 20th Century

Tibetan Old Iron Phurba Length: 16.3 cm 20th Century. The piece is less than a hundred years old. Tibetan antique dealers say it is crafted from old iron. This old iron originates from materials like fragments of King Gesar's armor, old iron weaponry, and components from Thangtong Gyalpo's iron chain bridges. The iron phurba is made according to ritual procedures. The color and feel of the iron are quite similar to the texture of older meteorite iron phurbas. Compared to the mass-produced, mold-cast iron phurbas found on Taobao for 200-300 RMB, these are entirely different. Although this old iron phurba is less than a hundred years old, its price is very high. A Tibetan dealer mentioned someone offered 16,000 RMB, but he did not sell it! Authentic iron phurbas used for practice that are over a hundred years old are generally priced at 50,000 RMB or more in the market... Tibetan ritual implements are a depleting resource... Most are heading to mainland China. Those that remain in Taiwan are no longer inexpensive. 22000 - 10 Dec 2023