Butter sculptures
Tibetan butter sculptures cover a variety of subjects, like deities, flowers, animals and Buddhist motifs. Traditionally, they are displayed on monastery altars and family shrines as offerings.
Butter sculptures, mainly made of butter and mineral pigments, are modeled by hand. Since butter melts easily, monk artists need to work in cold conditions. They dip their hands into cold water to make their fingers cold enough to model the butter without melting it.
A few tools, such as hollow bones for making long threads and moulds for making leaves, are applied. Monks take great pride in doing religious work.
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