ART

THE BEAUTY OF KAPALA SKULLS

when a ritual object surpasses the beauty of art

GinGin Xie

Art or Not?

Skulls are usually viewed as a symbol of death, the devil, or as an object of fear. Artists have taken advantage of these qualities in a variety of ways. And even the fashion industry has employed them as decorative objects. Though, in the case of fashion, instead of fear, designers use them like gems: to project a kind of elegance to the design. However, it is extremely rare to see real skulls that have been decorated with precious gems and jewelry. In Tibetan Buddhism, decorative skulls are a major ritual object called Kapalas. One of the fascinating things about them is that they look like art, if you put them in a museum you’d treat them as art, but in the end, they aren’t art.

Tibetan Buddhism is a branch of Mahayana Buddhism that originated in Tibet. The followers are mainly Tibetan, as well as some from mainland China. Tibetan Buddhism was once an exile religion. China conquered Tibet, and since its official religion was Mahayana Buddhism, Tibetan Buddhism was culturally on the outside. However, Tibetan Buddhism has slowly gained in popularity and now it plays a huge part in not only China’s religious life but also the world’s.

The Intersection of Art and Philosophy

The leader of Tibetan Buddhism, the Dali Lama, is the highest ranking monk and is thought to be the incarnation of the Buddha. 1 in 6 Tibetan men are true believers and consider themselves loyal followers. They donate most of their money to the temples, as do many Tibetans (but maybe not at the same level). Many followers also purchase different ritual objects and dedicate their lives to daily ritual practices. Kapalas are one of the most famous ritual objects in Tibetan Buddhism. They are skulls decorated with many elegant gems, and as I said above, many Westerners would consider art. They’re just that beautiful.

Kapalas are made out of bones and are frequently used in the rituals of a different branch of Tibetan Buddhism called Vajrayana Buddhism. The purpose of the Kapala is to remind everyone of the impermanence of both life and death. Bones are an easy symbol of death. In Tibetan Buddhism, the Lamas are represented as the most powerful people, whom many believe to be the living Buddhas within the world. When Lamas pass away, their bodies are buried and their bones donated into the making of Kapalas. In Tibetan Buddhism, Buddhists believe that bodies should return to nature after death. You get this in the Buddhist saying, “to which everything returns to nature.”

Tibetan Buddhists believe that sky burials bring them into another circle of life. Kapalas are usually made from the bones of the hand as well as the bridge of the brow. After these Kapalas are made, the dead rest in peace and the living are blessed. The people who wear Kapalas feel the power of the dead lama. It connects the dead and the living worlds, as well as the yin and yang. The most powerful Kapalas are made from the skulls of dead lamas.

Feels like a friend

Kapalas are used in big ritual and initiation ceremonies and are often used as containers for cakes and wine. They are symbolic flesh and blood offerings to the wrathful deities. When a skull Kapala is used to hold wine, it is an offering to win a god’s favour. Additionally, those who eat or drink from the Kapala bowls obtain both the knowledge and the wisdom from the deceased Lamas. It shows the important connection between life and death, and the karmic force of the Kapala skulls is passed on to the living ones who take offerings from the karmic vessel. In this sense Kapalas are different to any other ritual objects around the world. They are not only pieces of artwork, but are also objects that contain powers, souls, and beliefs. They are not about the fear of death, but the circle of life and death; a never ending wave of human souls passing in and out of the world.

It’s important to note that Kapalas are not art. They look like art, but they have a completely different function. The infamous English artist, Damien Hirst, has created a piece called “For the Love of God” which at a glance could pass for a Kapala. Hirst’s piece is cast in platinum, from a human skull from the 18th century, and is adorned with 8,601 flawless diamonds, including a pear-shaped pink diamond located on the forehead. Only the teeth are left alone.

Art? Well, that's what we call it

The skull cost £14 million to make and now has an asking price of £50 million, making it the highest price ever paid for a single work by a living artist. Hirst wants to state that our existence on earth is transient, just as Tibetan Buddhism states. He seems to want to tell people that death is not something that we should be afraid of. He was inspired by Aztec skulls and Mexican Catholicism’s tendency to mix death and religion, and the idea of the momento mori. He has said in talking about the piece: “You don’t like it, so you disguise it or you decorate it to make it look like something bearable – to such an extent that it becomes something else.” This is the central difference between an art skull (Hirst) and a Kapala. Hirst talks of evasion and making things bearable, but Kapalas are about a constant mixing of the living and the dead.

Skulls are complex symbols: they are not here to be made into a piece of art, but are a constant reminder of the connection between the living and the dead. This is what makes Kapalas such powerful ritual objects. In Hirst’s piece, skulls are just an easy symbol of death and evil. Tibetan Buddhism takes skulls and transforms them into holy objects, in which the Buddhists use the Kapalas as a way to contemplate the path between life and death. Kapalas look like stunning pieces of artwork, but it is their use in ritual that is truly powerful.

©GinGin Xie and the CCA Arts Review