Thangka

A "Thangka," also known as "Tangka", "Thanka" or "Tanka" (Pronunciation: [toːnkoː] , the 'th' as an aspirated 't' and the 'a' as in the word "water") (bo|t=ཐང་ཀ་, Nepal Bhasa:पौभा) is a painted or embroidered Buddhist banner which was hung in a monastery or a family altar and occasionally carried by monks in ceremonial processions. In Tibetan the word "thang" means flat, and thus the Thangka is a kind of painting done on flat surface but which can be rolled up when not required for display, sometimes called a scroll-painting. The most common shape of a Thangka is the upright rectangular form.

Originally, thangka painting became popular among traveling monks because the scroll paintings were easily rolled and transported from monastery to monastery. These thangka served as important teaching tools depicting the life of the Buddha, various influential lamas and other deities and Bodhisattva. One popular subject is The Wheel of Life, which is a visual representation of the Abhidharma teachings (Art of Enlightenment).

While regarded by some as colorful wall hangings, to Buddhists, these Tibetan religious paintings offer a beauty, believed to be a manifestation of the divine, and are thus visually stimulating.

Thangka, when created properly, perform several different functions. Images of deities can be used as teaching tools when depicting the life (or lives) of the Buddha, describing historical events concerning important Lamas, or retelling myths associated with other deities. Devotional images act as the centerpiece during a ritual or ceremony and are often used as mediums through which one can offer prayers or make requests. Overall, and perhaps most importantly, religious art is used as a meditation tool to help bring one further down the path to enlightenment. The Buddhist Vajrayana practitioner uses the image as a guide, by visualizing “themselves as being that deity, thereby internalizing the Buddha qualities (Lipton, Ragnubs).”

Historian note that Chinese painting had a profound influence on Tibetan painting in general. Starting from the 14th and 15th century, Tibetan painting had incorporated many elements from the Chinese, and during the 18th century, Chinese painting had a deep and far-stretched impact on Tibetan visual art.McKay, Alex. "The History of Tibet". Routledge. 2003. p. 596-597. ISBN 0700715088] According to Giuseppe Tucci, by the time of the Qing Dynasty, "a new Tibetan art was then developed, which in a certain sense was a provincial echo of the Chinese 18th century's smooth ornate preciosity."

History

Thangka is a Nepalese art form which was imported to Tibet after Princess Bhrikuti of Nepal, daughter of Lichchavi king, married with Sron Tsan Gampo, the ruler of Tibet [http://www.pinklotusthangka.com/what-is.asp] [ [http://www.nepalnews.com.np/contents/englishweekly/sundaypost/2000/dec/dec17/head.htm An article about Thanka] ] imported the images of Aryawalokirteshwar and other Nepalese deities to Tibet [ [http://www.himalayanmart.com/bhrikuti_tara.php Article about Bhrikuti Tara] ] .

Types of thangkas

Based on technique and material, thangkas can be grouped by type. Generally, they are divided into two broad categories: those which are painted (Tib.) bris-tan and those which are made of silk, either by appliqué or with embroidery.

Thangkas are further divided into these more specific categories:

* Painted in colors (Tib.) tson-tang -- the most common type
* Appliqué (Tib.) go-tang
* Black Background -- meaning gold line on a black background (Tib.) nagtang
* Blockprints -- paper or cloth outlined renderings, by woodcut/woodblock printing
* Embroidery (Tib.) tshim-tang
* Gold Background -- an auspicious treatment, used judiciously for peaceful, long-life deities and fully enlightened buddhas
* Red Background -- literally gold line, but referring to gold line on a vermillion (Tib.) mar-tang

Whereas typical thangkas are fairly small, between about 18 and 30 inches tall or wide, there are also giant festival thankas, usually Appliqué, and designed to be unrolled against a wall in a monastery for particular religious occasions. These are likely to be wider than they are tall, and may be sixty or more feet across and perhaps twenty or more high.

upport

Thangkas are made on various fabrics. The most common is a loosely woven cotton produced in widths from 40 to 58 centimeters (16 - 23 inches). While some variations do exist, thangkas wider than 45 centimeters (17 or 18 inches) frequently have seams in the support.

Process

Painted thangkas are done on cotton canvas or silk with water soluble pigments, both mineral and organic, tempered with a herb and glue solution - in Western terminology, a distemper technique. The entire process demands great mastery over the drawing and perfect understanding of iconometric principles.

The composition of a thangka, as with the majority of Buddhist art, is highly geometric. Arms, legs, eyes, nostrils, ears, and various ritual implements are all laid out on a systematic grid of angles and intersecting lines. A skilled thangka artist will generally select from a variety of predesigned items to include in the composition, ranging from alms bowls and animals, to the shape, size, and angle of a figure's eyes, nose, and lips. The process seems very scientific, but often requires a very deep understanding of the symbolism of the scene being depicted, in order to capture the essence or spirit of it.

Thangka are often overflowing with symbolism and allusion. Because the art is explicitly religious all symbols and allusions must be in accordance with strict guidelines laid out in buddhist scripture. The artist must be properly trained and have sufficient religious understanding, knowledge and background in order to create an accurate and appropriate thangka. Lipton and Ragnubs clarify this in "Treasures of Tibetan Art":

“ [Tibetan] art exemplifies the nirmanakaya, the physical body of Buddha, and also the qualities of the Buddha, perhaps in the form of a deity. Art objects, therefore, must follow rules specified in the Buddhist scriptures regarding proportions, shape, color, stance, hand positions, and attributes in order to personify correctly the Buddha or Deities.”

elected examples of thanka

ee also

Mandala

References

*Lipton, Barbara and Ragnubs, Nima Dorjee. Treasures of Tibetan Art: Collections of the Jacques Marchais Museum of Tibetan Art. Oxford University Press, New York. 1996

*"Art of Enlightenment: A persepective on the Sacred Art of Tibet", Yeshe De Project. Dharma Publishing, Berkeley, CA 1987.

External links

* [http://www.buddhisticons.com Tibetain paintings for contemplative experience - Thamel Street, Kathmandu/]
* [http://www.thangka.de More than 4500 pages of sacred Tibetan art from Dharmapala Thangka Centre - Kathmandu | Nepal]
* [http://www.tibetcolor.com/tatsurphu.htm Makers of Giant Thangkas in Tibet]
* [http://www.tibetcolor.com/taleslieappl.htm Applique Thangkas]
* [http://www.pureview.co.nz A selection of hi-res downloadable thangkas | Pure View]
* [http://www.shant.eu/thanka_beard_lama_blessing_2007.htm 'Thanka blessing in Nepal ]
* [http://www.shant.eu/thanka_norbulingka_2007.htm 'Norbulingka thangka's Norbulingka Institute ] - Tibetan Thangka Paintings from the Tibetan Government's Institute under the Chairmanship of His Holiness the Dalai Lama.