We're closing out our exploration of the recurring iconography throughout the Rubin's collection with one last ritual object, the bell 🔔 The bell is one of the most widely used implements in Tantric Buddhist rituals. In paintings and sculptures, it often appears being held by deities and humans. The bell generally symbolizes wisdom, the feminine aspect of enlightenment, and its ring is said to be the sound of emptiness. Take a look at Orgyen Dorje Chang, One of the Eight Manifestations of Padmasambhava, a 19th-century thangka painting. Can you find the bell within the beautifully depicted details? Swipe again to observe both hands of Machik Labdron in this ca. 16th–17th century stone sculpture. In her right hand, she holds a hand drum high above her head, and in her left she holds a bell. When these two objects are paired together, the hand drum represents the male aspect of enlightenment, and its drumming is the sound of the bliss of realizing the true nature of reality. Finall...