kongōban 金剛盤

Also banshi 盤子. A stand or tray on which are placed the *kongōsho 金剛杵 (vajra pestle) and *kongōrei 金剛鈴 (bell) used for ritual prayer and incantation in Esoteric Buddhism mikkyō 密教. The stand has an irregular quatrefoil shape, approximately triangular, with four points representing lotus leaves. It is usually made of gilt bronze, and has three legs. The Kongōban in Kyōōgokokuji 教王護国寺 (Tōji 東寺), Kyoto, is said to be the oldest example in Japan, brought back from China by *Kūkai 空海.