I recently acquired this beautiful kapala; a ceremonial vessel made from a skull. This one is made from a monkey skull. They are intended to hold offerings and the skullcap is hinged so you can place offerings inside (scroll through the pics) Kapalas are made from the skull of various animals, often humans. They are used in Hindu and Buddhist rituals, mostly in Tibet and often in monasteries. The skulls used to make a true kapala are collected from special places and are consecrated before use. The bones used to make human skull kapalas are collected by monks after sky burials. If you don’t know what a skull burial is Google it. It’s the most beautiful way I can think of to give your body back to the universe after you die. But I digress. I’m not sure if this one is an authentic kapala because lots are made simply for tourists. Sometimes the tourist ones aren’t even made with real skulls. I unwittingly bought one many yers ago that was made with a cast resin replica monkey skull. So a little “pro tip” for you if you are shopping for one of these and want one made from a real monkey skull; check the teeth. In the last close-up photo you can see the semi-translucent enamel of the fangs, which even has faint cracks in it. This confirms this one was constructed with a real monkey skull. Not all kapala have exposed teeth, in which case it can be very difficult to
