Tibetan Skull Tattoo
This Tibetan Skull Tattoo Japanese sleeve is finally finished. Beside the skull it shows a koi fish fighting with water stream and couple chrysanthemum flowers. The tattoo is done in Tattoo Culture, Brooklyn.
The word Kapala is a Sanskirt term meaning skull, bowl, vessel, begging bowl and is a decorative human skull used as a ritual implement in both Hindu and Buddhist Tantra. They were often carved with decorative designs or elaborately mounted with precious metals and jewels.
The skull cup, when used as libation to gods and deities to win their favour, is usually held in the left “wisdom” hand and held in front of a deity’s heart where it may be paired with such right hand ‘method’ implements such as the vajra or curved knife. Many wrathful deities hold a curved knife above a skull cup in front of their hearts symbolizing the union of their method and wisdom. The Hindu goddess Kali, for example, is often depicted holding or drinking from a blood-filled Kapala. The curved knife serves as the “method” weapon that severs the life and vital organs of demonic enemies and the skull cup is the “wisdom” vessel in which the blood and organs are collected as the deity’s life source… – really interesting article about Tibetan Skulls, so if you are interested in this subject read more here.
Tibetan Skull Tattoo by George Bardadim, Tattoo artist NYC
More Japanese Tattoos can be found in Main Gallery.
