For important rituals a Tibetan priest or lama wears a five-leaved tiara. On the five leaves are the Five Dhyani Buddhas or transcendental Buddhas. They emanate from a primordial Buddha and are represented as meditating princes. Each has a name, colour, direction, natural element and symbol. From left to right: Ratnasambhava (yellow, south, earth), Akshobhya (blue, east, water), Vairocana (white, centre, ether), Amitabha (red, west, fire) and Amoghasiddhi (green, north, air).
Exceptionally,the tiara shown here is not painted but woven in silk. The weaving technique is extraordinarily complicated.
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