Barbola preserves fabric art form

When talking about “barbola” (Duixiu) in Tibet, usually it refers to “thangka barbola,” namely to make thangka using the process of barbola, rather than painting.

The majority of the most famous barbola in Tibet are from Rebgong, where the Kumbum barbola, one of the three treasures of Kumbum Monastery, comes from.

To produce the Kumbum barbola, monks first draw the draft of the Buddha, Guanyin, Tàrà, Protector Deities and other characters or scenes on paper, cut them out and stick them on the silk they have already chosen.

Before being stuck again onto the well-designed drapery, those drafts need to be trimmed off the silk and filled with materials like wool or cotton.

The last step is hemming the pieces with silk thread, which go into different colors, dye, and iron them. Then a piece of glorious work is completed.