Frontispiece from The Great Destroyer of the Thousand Foes (Mahasahasrapramardani) Sutra Manuscript

Unfired clay remains the most commonly used material for sculpture in the Himalayas, from large statues to small tsatsas.

Stone and wood are used by artisans to create three-dimensional images in Himalayan cultural regions.

The invention of printing can be directly connected to Buddhism and the need to reproduce religious texts and simple pictures of the Buddha.

Painting is the primary two-dimensional form for image making, but different media, such as woodblock prints and woven textiles, are also used to create similar compositions.

Metal has become the predominate medium for producing religious sculpture in the Himalayas, primarily by way of hollow or lost wax casting and embossing.