Tibetan Ritual Thigh Bone Trumpet (Kangling) with Silver Mounts, Coral & Turquoise

This trumpet known as a kangling is made from the upper section of a human tibia or femur bone. It has silver mounts chased in high relief with a large coral cabochon in a box setting at one end and a turquoise cabochon at the other.

The silver over the larger end of the trumpet has two holes to emit air and is worked with a pair of dragon motifs amid foliage scrolling.

The mouthpiece at the other end is wrapped in silver that is chased with more scrolling foliage motifs.

The silver decoration is similar to that which appears on other later Tibetan religious items such as ritual conch shells, ga’u boxes, altar dharma wheels, and ritual mandala containers.

Such trumpets were used in various Tibetan Buddhist esoteric rituals as well as at traditional funeral rituals to subdue demons and other malignant forces and to encourage wrathful protectors. Such trumpets were never used for festivals or performances. Bone trumpets are always held in the left hand when in use (the left hand being known as the ‘wisdom hand’) and were used only by authorised tantric masters for specific rituals.

Bones from respected, pious people were required so that the trumpet would be effective. The bone needed to be straight and have a sharp ridge along the top to resemble a horse’s backbone. This is the case with the example here.

The origin of the use of thigh bone trumpets is believed to come from a legend about an Indian hermit who studied Buddhist doctrines on a burial platform. He found that the sharp tone of blowing through a thigh bone awoke his compassion and pushed away feelings of world weariness. The thigh bone trumpet has since been used as a musical instrument in esoteric rituals.

See a related example attributed to the 19th century in the British Museum.

The example here has good age and a fine patina.