Hand knotted bone mala necklace. The beads have been carved to represent skulls.

Each bead is approx. 10mm long.

Skull shaped beads originated in Tibet and help users contemplate the meaning of life and death during meditation and help chanters reflect upon the inevitability of death and the necessity of embracing lives filled with compassion.

Bone is a traditional material used in malas in both Nepal and Tibet and represents the earth and our connection to it. Bone is also said to signify strength and to amplify prana (life force energy.)

Malas are used for keeping count while reciting, chanting, or mentally repeating a mantra or the name or names of a deity.

In traditional Tibetan Buddhism, mala beads are created using 108 beads, as a 108-bead mantra repetition represents the 108 worldly sins in the Buddhist doctrine.