Thangka
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A thangka (Nepali pronunciation:
Thangka serve as important teaching tools
History
Tibetan Buddhist painting developed from widespread traditions of early Buddhist paintings which now only survive in a few sites such as the Ajanta Caves in India and the Mogao Caves in China, which have very extensive wall-paintings and were the repository for what are now the earliest surviving Tibetan paintings on cloth. The thanka form developed alongside the tradition of Tibetan Buddhist wall paintings, which are or were mostly in monasteries.
The early history of the form is more easily traced through these murals, which survive in greater numbers than the portable paintings which certainly once existed.The art form originating for the Newari art of Phauba from Nepal, from the early years artists were commissioned from Nepal, furthermore, ancient texts have been found wherein instructions were provided as to the proportions, postures and geometrical measurements of these deities to the monasteries from Nepal.[1] Most thanka were commissioned by individuals, who were believed to acquire merit by doing so. They might then be given to a monastery or another individual, or retained for use by the commissioner. Some thangka have inscriptions on their back recording that they were the personal meditation image (thugs dam) of a notable monk.[2] Most artists were probably monks, although lay artists seem to have also existed, as they did for metalwork sculpture. The commissioner would provide the materials, which were often valuable, and by tradition the compensation to the artist was regarded as a "gift" rather than a fee.[3] The word "thangka" means "thing that one unrolls" in Classical Tibetan.[4] Thangka are very rarely signed, but some artists are known, more because they were important monastic leaders than famous as artists. Painting was a valued accomplishment in a monk.[5]
The earliest surviving Tibetan paintings on cloth are from the Mogao Caves at Dunhuang on the Silk Road in Gansu province, China. The "Library Cave" there was a repository of old or worn out manuscripts, paintings, prints, textiles and other items which was sealed off in the 11th century, after several centuries of deposits. Many of the paintings have Tibetan inscriptions or are in a style that can be recognized as Tibetan, as opposed to the dominant Han Chinese style and some pieces reflecting Indian styles.[6] Though they are hard to date, it is thought that these pieces mainly come from a period c. 781–848 during Tang dynasty rule.[7]
Surviving tangkas on cloth certainly from Tibet itself start in the 11th century, after the revival of Buddhism; there are some 20 surviving from the 11th and 12th century.[8] Such early examples typically have compositions that are already complex, but less so than in later examples. Later the typical compositions show a central figure flanked by smaller figures, often in framed compartments, or surrounded by flaming halos or seated on small clouds. Behind these figures a landscape background including much sky is often indicated, though little of it may be visible. The central figure may be a deity, arhat, or important monk, and the same groups make up the background figures. Several of the figures may be different "aspects" or reincarnations of each other according to Buddhist theology. In the example at left the flanking bodhisattvas are in a style, one of several found in such figures in this period, that appears derived from central Indian art.[9]
Over the following centuries Tibetan painting, both on walls and thangka, continued to develop in its distinctive style, balancing between the two major influences of Indo-Nepalese and Han Chinese painting, despite Buddhism being on the general decline in these regions. Styles could vary considerably between the different regions of Tibet, as well as the wider region where tangkas were painted. Within Tibet the regions nearer Nepal and the rest of China were often more influenced by regional styles. Bhutanese tangkas were mainly influenced by Central Tibet. The different monastic orders also developed somewhat different stylistic characters.
Tibetan painting incorporated many elements from Han Chinese painting, especially from the 14th century onwards, reaching a peak in the 18th century. One aspect of this was allowing more space and emphasis to the landscape background. In general the style of figures in thangkas remains derived from the Indo-Nepalese tradition.[10][11] 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."[11] Since the Yuan dynasty, Tibet was administered as part of China, but when the Qing dynasty came to power court interest in Tibetan Buddhism increased, and many refined and elegant works were produced by Imperial artists and sent to Tibet, influencing local styles. As well as the court style, there was influence from the regions of China near Tibet.[12]
Tangkas were painted in all the areas where Tibetan Buddhism flourished, which apart from those mentioned already included Mongolia, Ladakh,Sikkim, and parts of Himalayan India in Arunachal Pradesh, Dharamshala, and Lahaul and Spiti district in Himachal Pradesh. It is also practiced in parts of Russia (Kalmykia, Buryatia, and Tuva) and Northeast China.
Other traditions of Buddhist scroll paintings are not usually covered by the term thangka, although they may have many similarities, and descend from the same origins. An example is
Types
Based on technique and material, tangkas can be grouped by types. Generally, they are divided into two broad categories: those that are painted (Tib.) bris-tan—and those made of silk, either by appliqué or embroidery.
Tangkas are further divided into these more specific categories:
- Painted in colours (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.) tsem-thang
- 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 tangkas are fairly small, with painted area between about 20 to 50 centimetres high, there are also giant festival tangkas, 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. In Bhutan at least these are called thongdrels. There are also larger than average thankas that were designed for altars or display in temples.
Somewhat related are
Sources on Asian art often describe all-textile tangkas as "tapestry", but tangkas that meet the normal definition of tapestry with the image created only by
Process
Thangkas are painted on
Most old thangka have inscriptions on the back, usually the mantra of the deity depicted, but sometimes also information as to later owners, though rarely information about the original commissioner or artist. Sometimes x-rays allow pious inscriptions placed under the paint on the front of the image to be seen. Inscriptions may be made in the shape of a stupa, or sometimes other shapes.[15]
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 methodical, but often requires deep understanding of the symbolism involved to capture the spirit of it.
Thangka often overflow 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 to create an accurate and appropriate thangka:
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.[16]
Nepal
The earliest surviving thangka paintings from Nepal date to about the 14th century AD, but this is probably well after Buddhists and Hindus began to make illustrations of the deities and natural scenes. Historically, Tibetan and Chinese influence in Nepalese paintings is quite evident in
After the introduction of paper, palm leaf became less popular, however, it continued to be used until the eighteenth century. Paper manuscripts imitated the oblong shape but were wider than the palm leaves. From the fifteenth century onwards, brighter colours gradually began to appear in Nepalese thangka. Because of the growing importance of the
Religious paintings worshipped as icons are known as Paubha in Newari and thangka in Tibetan. The origin of Paubha or thangka paintings may be attributed to the Nepalese artists responsible for creating a number of special metal works and wall- paintings as well as illuminated manuscripts in Tibet. Realizing the great demand for religious icons in Tibet, these artists, along with monks and traders, took with them from Nepal not only metal sculptures but also a number of Buddhist manuscripts. One of the earliest specimens of Nepalese Thangka painting dates from the thirteenth /fourteenth century and shows
During the reign of Tibetan Dharma King Trisong Duetsen the Tibetan masters refined their already well-developed arts through research and studies of different country's tradition. Thanka painting's lining and measurement, costumes, implementations and ornaments are mostly based on Indian styles. The drawing of figures is based on Nepalese style and the background sceneries are based on Chinese style. Thus, the thangka paintings became a unique and distinctive art. Although the practice of thanka painting was originally done as a way of gaining merit it has nowadays evolved into a commercial business and the noble intentions it once carried has been diluted. Tibetans do not sell Tangkas on a large scale as the selling of religious artifacts such as tangkas and idols is frowned upon in the Tibetan community and thus non Tibetan groups have been able to monopolize on its (thangka's) popularity among Buddhist and art enthusiasts from the west.
Thangka have developed in the northern Himalayan regions among the Lamas. Besides Lamas,
Gallery
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Monk painting a thangka at thePotala in Lhasain 1938
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Thanka with its backing and (above) cover
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Jina Buddha Ratnasambhava, Central Tibet,KadampaMonastery, 1150–1225
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'TheFive Dhyani Buddhas.
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Thangka of Buddha with the One HundredJatakaTales, Tibet, 13th-14th century
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Small tsakli, 13-14th century
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17th-century CentralGuhyasamaja Akshobhyavajra, Rubin Museum of Art
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Yama Dharmapala, Tibeto-Chinese, silk embroidery, 18th century
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18th-century Easternthanka, with the Green Tara (Samaya Tara Yogini) in the center and the Blue, Red, White and Yellow taras in the corners, Rubin Museum of Art
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Bhutanese thangka ofMt. Meru and the Buddhist Universe, 19th century, Trongsa Dzong, Trongsa, Bhutan
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Paintedthe goddess Prajnaparamita in center, 19th century, Rubin Museum of Art
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Shakyamuni Buddha in center, 19th century, Rubin Museum of Art
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Bhutanese painted thangka of Milarepa (1052–1135), late 19th-early 20th century, Dhodeydrag Gonpa, Thimphu, Bhutan
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Bhutanese painted thangka of the
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The Qianlong Emperor of China dressed as a monk
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Wheel of Life, from about 1800, Birmingham Museum of Art
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The mahasiddha Ghantapa (below), from Situ Panchen's set of thangka depicting the Eight Great Tantric Adepts. 18th century, with Chinese influence
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Tibetan thangka of the Chemchok Heruka
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One of a pair of book covers, c. 12th century
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19th-century Mongolian distemper painting with highlights of gold, depictingShakyamuni flanked by Avalokiteśvara and Manjushri. The form of Manjushri depicted here is not wielding the characteristic flaming sword, but there are many forms of the eight great bodhisattvas, some are based on the Indian tradition, and other from visions of historical masters.
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Painting Thangka in Lhasa, Tibet (2006)
See also
- Conservation and restoration of Tibetan thangkas – Preservation of traditional religious Tibetan scroll painting
- Khandu Wangchuk Bhutia – Indian thangka painter
- Tseten Dorjee – Tibetan Thangka Artist (b. 1960)
- Tree of physiology – Tibetan thangka
References
- ^ Kossak & Singer (1998), pp. 11–12.
- ^ For example, Kossak & Singer (1998), #20.
- ^ Rhie, in Rhie & Thurman (1991), pp. 41–42.
- ^ Béguin, Gilles, in Rhie & Thurman (1991), p. 386.
- ^ Kossak & Singer (1998), p. 16.
- ^ Béguin, Gilles, in Rhie & Thurman (1991), p. 385; Rhie, in Rhie & Thurman (1991), pp. 41–42, 122.
- ^ Rhie & Thurman (1991); Kossak & Singer (1998), p. 3–5.
- ^ Kossak & Singer (1998), p. 15.
- ^ Rhie & Thurman (1991), pp. 47–49.
- ^ Rhie & Thurman (1991), pp. 52–65.
- ^ a b McKay (2003), pp. 596–597.
- ^ Rhie & Thurman (1991), pp. 64–65.
- ^ Rhie & Thurman (1991), pp. 126–127.
- ^ Kossak & Singer (1998), p. 196-199.
- ^ Kossak & Singer (1998), p. 205.
- ^ Lipton & Ragnubs (1996), p. [page needed].
- ^ Kossak & Singer (1998), #1.
- ^ Metropolitan Museum
Works cited
- Kossak, Steven M.; Singer, Jane Casey, eds. (1998). Sacred Visions: Early Paintings from Central Tibet (exhibition catalogue). Metropolitan Museum of Art. Fully available online as PDF.
- Lipton, Barbara; Ragnubs, Nima Dorjee (1996). Treasures of Tibetan Art: Collections of the Jacques Marchais Museum of Tibetan Art. New York: Oxford University Press.
- McKay, Alex (2003). The History of Tibet. Routledge. ISBN 0-7007-1508-8.
- Rhie, Marylin; ISBN 0810925265.
Further reading
- Huntington, John C.; Bangdel, Dina (2003). The Circle of Bliss: Buddhist Meditational Art. Serindia Publications. ISBN 978-1932476019.
- Jackson, David P. (1995). History of Tibetan Painting; The Great Tibetan Painters and Their Traditions. Verlag der Österreichischen Akademie der Wissenschaften. ISBN 3700122241.
- Jackson, David P. (2009). Patron and Painter: Situ Panchen and the Revival of the Encampment Style. Rubin Museum of Art. ISBN 978-0977213146.
- Kreijer, Hugo E. (2001). Tibetan Paintings: The Jucker Collection. Shambhala. ISBN 978-1570628658.
- ISBN 0-906026-35-0.
- Linrothe, Robert N. (2004). Paradise and Plumage: Chinese Connections in Tibetan Arhat Painting. Serindia Publications. ISBN 978-1932476071.
- Loh, Jacinta Boon Nee (1 November 2002). "Decision From Indecision: Conservation of Thangka Significance, Perspectives and Approaches". Journal of Conservation and Museum Studies. 8. Institute of Archaeology, University College London: 1–5. .
- Tucci, Giuseppe (1949). Tibetan Painted Scrolls. Rome.
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: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link) 3 volumes. - Willson, Martin; ISBN 978-0861710980.
External links
- Painting: Scroll Work at Himalayan Art Resources
- Tibetan Thangka Painting at Norbulingka Institute
- Art of Thangka Gallery at Thangka-art.com