Prayer Wheel Item Number: Ee4.63 a-d from the MOA: University of British Columbia
Description
Tibetan prayer wheels are called mani khorlo (མ་ཎི་འཁོར་ལོ།). This mani khorlo has a wooden handle and metal pin (part a). A metal and jade wheel (part b) with two tiers of inlaid glass sits over the pin, with a ball and chain that hangs to one side. Inside the wheel is a rolled paper (part d) with writing on it. At the top of the prayer wheel sits a metal conical top (part c) with metal decorations and two tiers of inlaid glass.
History Of Use
The handheld mani khorlo (མ་ཎི་འཁོར་ལོ།) or prayer wheel spins with the movement of the wrist, while the stone on the short chain sustains the momentum. The wrapped spindle is known as the “life tree.” In spinning the wheel, the practitioner reaps the same benefits of having read the countless prayers coiled inside, a useful means for illiterate Buddhists to attain merit. The wheel should be spun clockwise to coincide with the sun’s movement and the direction of the writing on the wheel to facilitate the release of the blessings into the world.
Cultural Context
Mani khorlo (མ་ཎི་འཁོར་ལོ།) or prayer wheels are ritual objects used in Tibetan Buddhist culture.
Item History
- Made in Tibet
- Owned by Marjory D. Abramson before April 3, 2002
- Received from Marjory D. Abramson (Donor) on April 3, 2002
What
- Name
- Prayer Wheel
- Identification Number
- Ee4.63 a-d
- Type of Item
- prayer wheel
- Material
- wood, metal, paper, glass, jade mineral and ink
- Part A
- height 16.8 cm, diameter 1.4 cm
- Part B
- height 4.3 cm, diameter 3.5 cm
- Part C
- height 2.5 cm, diameter 2.7 cm
Who
- Culture
- Tibetan
- Previous Owner
- Marjory D. Abramson
- Received from
- Marjory D. Abramson (Donor)
Where
- Holding Institution
- MOA: University of British Columbia
- Made in
- Tibet
When
- Ownership Date
- before April 3, 2002
- Acquisition Date
- on April 3, 2002
Other
- Condition
- good
- Accession Number
- 2569/0005 a-d