Images of Kham

GUARDIAN KING'S ARMOR
This detail of Chagkyebo's armor shows the Kirtimukha, the "face of glory", a motif deriving from the Chinese t'ao t'ieh, or "monster mask", as well as from Indian Shivite legend. In Tibet, the Chagkyebo appears on doorways, thrones, mandalas, and other places as a protective symbol. This picture shows the embossing technique used on Tibetan wall painting, in which gold paint is applied over a raised, sculpted area made from tsampa, or roasted barley flour.