Keywords
Art History
Painting
A piece of silk used for a Buddhist painting, particularly icon painting, which is sanctified at a ceremony in esoteric Buddhism. Silk fabric which has been sewn together to the appropriate size is mounted and brought to a temple hall for the ceremony. During the ritual priests sprinkle water on the silk and a painter draws the outline of the Buddhist image with water. A senior priest then uses water to write Sanskrit characters around the torso of the image. After the ceremony is concluded, the artist begins the actual painting.