Monks at Namgyal Monastery sculpting butter tormas
during Losar, Tibetan New Year © Alison Wright

Every Tibetan Buddhist monk learns the art of torma making as part of his religious training. The word torma identifies any of a variety of offering cakes made of barley flour dough, sometimes sweetened, which is decorated with chopa, or butter sculpture.

As torma means "that which is thrown" these offerings are ususally disposed of after the particular ceremony for which they are made. They are used many times during the year with huge and elaborate ones made for traditional celebrations such as Losar, the Tibetan New Year.

Tormas are made in a variety of shapes, each an abstract representation of a particular deity. They are usually conical or pyramidal, sometimes rounded, sometines truncated, and sometimes with square stepped bases. Different tormas have different purposes. While some represent deities, others are magic weapons. On a basic level, a torma is an offering for a deity.

The fairly plain shapes are embellished with intricate, colorful decorations of sculpted butter. Common motifs include flowers, sun and moon, the eight auspicious symbols, real and mythological animals, and scenes from the stories of the Buddha's life (Jataka tales). Offerings for wrathful deities include weapons, skulls, and offerings of the five senses.

In Tibet, butter sculptures were made of yak butter to which various mineral and vegetable colors, gold dust, and silver dust were added. Those which were meant to be eaten used only vegetable colors. Today in India, butter sculptures are formed of vegetable fat mixed with wax to withstand the hotter climate.

While being sculpted, the butter is periodically dipped in cold water to lend firmness. Not all butter sculptures are applied to tormas. Sometimes they are put onto wooden panels or figures made of bamboo frames covered with yak leather.

Making Tormas:

The monks work the butter with the fingers of one hand so it won't melt, and create the basic shapes: disks, dots, lunar crescents, flower petals. They also make long strings to outline the shapes or loop from the corners.

You can work with play-doh to make "butter" sculptures. The colors can be mixed into a variety of hues. Use both hands and simple tools to make shapes and decorations. The final product should not be baked. They will gradually harden in the air.

Look for images similar to those traditionally found in Tormas and butter sculptures, such as the conch shell, wheel of knowledge, and endless knot. Try your hand at the basic shapes.