Kapala offering skull cup
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The skull cup (Kapala or Thod-pa) is used in tantric ritual practices to represent the transformation of delusion into perfect wisdom. The skull also symbolises Great Bliss and is a potent symbol of impermanence. Traditionally crafted from the human cranium it is one of the principal practice supports of the Vajrayana yogin.
Today, it has become more difficult to source genuine human skull cups from the Himalayas and therefore a variety of replica skulls are often used as a substitute. This typically includes those made from carved crystal or from hand beaten tsa tsa Clay.