Tibetan kartika (Buddhist spiritual weapon object) with 12 cm golden brass dorje

A kartika is a small crescent-shaped ritual flaying knife used in Tantric ceremonies of Vajrayana Buddhism. Kartari is said to be "one of the quintessential attributes of wrathful tantric deities". It is commonly known as the "dakinis knife".
The kartari 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 some forms of Yamantaka.
The curved blade knife - or Kartika - symbolizes the severing of material ties with the world and the destruction of ignorance.
It is used to permanently cut off material ties, traditionally held by the god Yama - Judge of the Dead