Thangka Embroidered with Figures of The Five Spirits of Destiny(Gobiin Lha)

"Thangka", which in the Tibetan language literally means "that which can be rolled up", refers to sacred paintings and embroideries displayed in the temples, monasteries and domestic shrines of Tibet, Mongolia, and Nepal. Depicting Buddhas, sacred deities, or mandalas(cosmic diagrams), thangkas typically are painted on cotton placed within broad boarders of polychrome silk brocade, protected by a thin dust-cover of silk, and fitted with a wooden dowel at the base to allow rolling up for storage or transport. While the majority of thangkas are painted with mineral pigments, the finest and most expensive are created by weaving or embroidering the imagery with silk threads. When creating thangkas, artists meditate on the deity they are painting or embroidering in order to become conduits of the image's profound meaning. The first element to be completed typically is the sky, symbolizing the way that all forms arise out of emptiness. The last details to be completed are the pupils of the eyes, which are thought to awaken and enliven the spirit of the deity in the image depicted.