Ritual and sacrificial implements of Tibetan Buddhism are divided into six categories according to use:

1. For showing respect: includes kasayas (an cassock-like outer garment worn by Buddhist monks), necklaces of beads, and hadas (silk scarves);
2. For eulogy: includes bells, drums, cymbals, white shell trumpets, bone flutes, and six-stringed musical instruments;
3. For sacrificial ceremonies: includes jars, incense burners, lamp stands, and white ceremonial umbrellas;
4. For hand-held use: includes prayer beads, bottles for sprinkling holy water, bells, and vajras (pestle-shaped weapons of Buddhist guardians);
5. For praying for safety: includes gewus (talismans) and incantation seals;
6. For preaching: includes wheels, tubes, screens, pillars, stones inscribed with the six-syllable mantra, mani flags, mani stones, and prayer wheels. reaching: includes wheels, tubes, screens, pillars, stones inscribed with the six-syllable mantra, mani flags, mani stones, and prayer wheels.

The pictures on these pages show rare implements of Tibetan Buddhism for ritual and sacrific.

A rattle-drum made from a human skull, from the Ming Dynasty. The drum features wonderful workmanship: the body is painted with colored dragon designs, and the narrow part is decorated with jewels. It was held by the narrow part and shaken to produce the sound.	A mandala of pearls presented to the 13th Dalai Lama by Empress Ci Xi in 1908, the 34th year of the reign of Emperor Guangxu of the Qing Dynasty. It is made of 220,000 natural pearls.
A cup made from a human skull, with a gold stand and lid, from the Qing Dynasty. It was used for sprinkling holy water on the heads of practitioners of the Esoteric Sect of Tibetan Buddhism. The skulls used to make such ritual and sacrificial implements were usually taken from the remains of high-ranking monks in accordance with their wills. The more complete the skull, the higher the quality of the implement.	A silver-and-gold bottle for praying for longevity, a sacrificial implement from the Qing Dynasty. The bottle features superb workmanship: its body is decorated with complicated and beautiful designs and inlaid with some 100 pieces of turquoise and over 40 coral beads.
An alloy bell with handles and an alloy vajra (pestle-shaped weapon of a Buddhist guardian), ritual implements of the Esoteric Sect of Tibetan Buddhism, from the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644). The bells of the guardians of the Esoteric Sect are divided into three categories: wrist bells, clashing bells, and bells with handles. The bell in the photo is inscribed with the words "Completed during the reign of Emperor Yongle of the Ming Dynasty." The vajra symbolizes the all-conquering nature of wisdom.	A stupa of crystal and brass on a wooden stand, a sacrificial implement symbolizing nirvana, from the Qing Dynasty. In the middle of the stupa is a crystal bottle, and the base and neck of the stupa are made of brass and inlaid with turquoise. The stupa has a gold top decorated with a golden sun and golden moon, both inlaid with jewels.