The object in this lot is a water kettle used in the Jambhala water torma (offering) ritual, known as chutor. The items used in this ritual typically forms a set, including a water pot or kettle, a large flat-based bowl where the offered water is stored after overfilling, seven small saucers or plates, and a small tripod that stands in the bowl with a plate placed above it. As Jambhala is the deity of wealth, this ritual is intended to invoke financial abundance. The ritual is narrative-based, originating from an event in the life of Shakyamuni Buddha.
According to legend, while Shakyamuni Buddha was teaching the Heart Sutra, the jealous Devadatta threw rocks at him. The rocks, however, accidentally struck White and Yellow Jambhalas on their heads and hit Black Jambhala on the stomach. Buddha then approached Jambhala and blessed him, releasing a white, nectar-like substance from his hand that symbolises wisdom, compassion and love, which touched Jambhala’s head. Jambhala felt blissful and cleansed of his impurities and wounds. He immediately bowed to Buddha and expressed his gratitude. Buddha then said to him, “As I have healed you and poured this holy nectar onto you, in the future, any one of my students or their students who invokes your power and pours water onto your head, bestow on them wealth, both material and spiritual, with spiritual wealth being the most important.”
Passed down generations via folk stories, this ritual remains prevalent today in the Himalayan regions, such as Tibet and Nepal. The water kettle in this lot is intricately crafted, with gilding on the centre and rim of the lid, the body, the base of the mouth, the handle, and the bottom stand of the pot. Delicate swirling vine motifs are carved into the gilded decoration, enclosed by tiny gold beads.