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Saturday May 13, 4:17 PM108 Tibetan religious icons on display over Vesak Day weekendIt's Vesak Day on Friday, a day marked by Buddhists all over the world.But have you ever wondered how Tibetan believers worship? To offer some insights, the Nei Xue Tang Singapore Buddhist Art Museum in Cantonment Road is holding an exhibition on tsha-tsha. Tsha-tsha are religious icons found in every Tibetan household. "Tsha-tsha" is the translation of a Sanskrit word which originally meant "copy". The Tibetan people believe that tsha-tsha will bring blessings and drive away evil and misfortune. From centuries ago, Tibetan monks and ordinary folk have been making such miniature clay figures for use in everyday worship. Their craft has since been perfected into a form of art. And it was 62-year-old Tianjin-born Chinese painter and antique connoisseur Liu Dong who took the Tibetan household item out of its commonplace status and brought it to the world's attention. He said: "Tsha-tsha have multi-faceted values - as collectors' items or in art, religion and civilisations. Also for its value in medical and archaeological aspects, and as artefacts." Liu Dong, who started collecting tsha-tsha since 1969, now owns over 1,000 of them. Some were made from clay mixed with medicine and are believed to have medical properties. Several date back to the 7th century. And some - made by famous people like the 4th Dalai Lama - could even be considered as relics. 108 pieces of Liu Dong's tsha-tsha collection are now on display till May 15. -CNA/ir |
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