Author: Anne Ewbank / Source: Atlas Obscura
In many cultures, sculpted butter is an artistic medium, whether as a banquet-hall spectacle or an exhibit at the county fair. But for Tibetan Buddhist monks and laity, artistic butter designs, known as torma or tsepdro, take on a spiritual role.
Traditionally made using yak butter mixed with barley flour and coloring, the symbols are either formed on flat boards or made into freestanding sculptures. Since butter is both soft and meltable, makers need delicate hands and cold rooms. They also soak their hands in icy water to keep meltage to a minimum.
Often, the sculptures are made for Losar, the Tibetan New Year’s festival, as well as prayer festivals. The custom may date back to the life of the Buddha himself, says Yeshe Wangmo, writer and producer of the film Torma: The Ancient Art of Tibetan Butter Sculpture. “The word tor means to throw or to scatter,” she says. “The suffix -ma means mother in Tibetan, which means love.”
Different lineages of Tibetan Buddhism have different styles of tormas, but many use similar symbolism. Images of the Eight Auspicious Symbols, such as a white conch shell and the dharma wheel, are common. So are flowers and animals. The animals tend to be birds, rabbits, monkeys, or elephants, or the Four Harmonious Friends, the characters of a legend emphasizing cooperation and respect for one’s elders.
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