gokosho　五鈷杵

KEY WORD :　art history / sculptures

A short club with five prongs at each end, usually made of gilt bronze. The central grip is encircled by demons' eyes kimoku 鬼目, and above and below these a lotus flower pattern. At each end is a central straight prong like a *tokkosho 独鈷杵, surrounded by four curved prongs. The gokosho is a type of vajra pestle *kongousho 金剛杵. Kongousho are used in Esoteric Buddhist services *mikkyou hougu 密教法具, and are also found as attributes *jimotsu 持物 held by Buddhist guardian figures such as *Aizen Myouou 愛染明王. They represent the indestructibility of Buddhist law, and the power of the Buddha to conquer evil.

REFERENCES:

*sankosho 三鈷杵

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NOTES:

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