Tibet. 1850/1900 AD. Vajrayana Buddhism. Big Bronze Ceremonial Kartika Axe with three-headed Mahakala deity and Ganapati on the top. Fully decorated. Horse on the top. 3,4 kg. - 51x12x10 cm. Extremely rare. A kartika also sometimes referred to in Tibetan as a trigug or drigug is a small, crescent-shaped hand-held ritual flaying knife used in the tantric ceremonies of Vajrayana Buddhism. The kartika is said to be "one of the quintessential attributes of the wrathful Tantric deities."It is commonly known as the "knife of the dakinis." While the kartika is normally held in the right hand of a dakini in Vajrayana iconography and spiritual practice, occasionally it can be seen being held by esoteric male deities, such as certain forms of Yamantaka. It is also found frequently in the iconography of the Tibetan Buddhist spiritual practice of Chöd.