Making of butter sculptures

The making of butter sculptures is rather unique and complex: Since butter melts easily it is modeled by hand in cold conditions (usually on winter days) by monk artists.

To make the butter more smooth and delicate, the monk artists soak it in cold water for a long time to remove impure substances; then, they knead the butter into a smooth yet greasy preparation.

Before sculpting, monk artists must wash and take part in a religious ritual. Then, they begin to discuss the theme of the butter sculpture. After setting the theme, they elaborate on the concept, planning, and layout of the butter sculpture. During this process, the work is distributed among the monks respectively. When all of the preparatory work is complete, the artists enter rooms at a temperature of 0℃ and begin to sculpt.

The first procedure is for the artist to set up a basic frame for the butter sculpture, using some simple tools, such as soft leather, hemp rope, and hollow truncheon (Do you mean a hollow stick of some sort?).

In the next procedure, modeling, the artist employs two kinds of raw materials.

The first kind is a black mixture made from the used butter sculptures and ashes from burned wheat straw to mold different shapes on the frame. This process greatly resembles flour sculpting and clay sculpting. Then, the body must be revised and examined before the model is finally set up.

The second raw material is a mixture made from the creamy butter and many colored minerals. These are painted onto the surface of the body, and golden and silver powder is used to draw the outline of the sculpture. This process concludes the modeling of colored images.

In the last step, the butter sculptures are affixed onto several slates or a special basin as in the original design. The layout can create a flower image or a story called "frame of butter flowers."