Prayer Wheel (Mani Wheel)
Tibetan
Description
Subject Matter:
A mani, or prayer wheel, a common ritual object used in Tibetan Buddhism. A hand-written or printed prayer is placed inside the hollow core of the wheel drum; when a believer spins the drum from left to right (the direction the prayers are written), he or she attains the same religoius merit as when reciting the prayers aloud.
Physical Description:
A 'mani' or prayer wheel, a common ritual object used in Tibetan Buddhism: a device made a handle (here a simple wooden stick) supporting a hollow cylindrical drum on a spindle. A small metal weight, attached to one one side of the drum with a cord, allows the wheel to spin with a slight rotation of the wrist. The drum in his case is of hammered metal, with incised patterns of Buddhist auspicious symbols.
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