About Tibetan Thangkas

Thangka art spread from Nepal to Tibet.

Tibetan thangka (sometimes spelled thanka or tanka) is a form of religious art. Thangkas are two-dimensional depictions of Buddhas and other Tibetan deities in the form of a scroll. Traditionally, they have been used by Tibetan Buddhists as objects of religious contemplation and worship. Today, thangkas can be seen hanging on the walls of major museums around the world and are valuable collector's items.

History

Nomadic Tibetans made transportable art.

The history of the thangka predates Tibetan Buddhism. Examples of the artform exist throughout the Himalayan region and in northern India, the historical birthplace of Gautama Buddha, the first Buddha. Thangkas were originally painted as scrolls because early Tibetan tribes were nomadic and even their religious icons therefore needed to be easily transportable. According to the Art Gallery of New South Wales (Australia), a suitable English translation of the word "thangka" is "portable icon."

Significance

Lhasa, the capital of Tibet

The thangka is a deeply significant form of sacred art to Tibetan Buddhists. Tibetan and other Buddhist practitioners seek to become a "Buddha" or "enlightened one." According to an Art Gallery of New South Wales article in reference to its thangka collection, the thangka is "a means and support to an experience of Buddhahood; it is intended not simply to be 'looked at' but 'entered into.'"

Styles

A thangka is sometimes made from silk.

Two media are used for making thangka: silk and paint. The painted thangka, on either cotton or silk, is the predominant form, but there are also many examples of thangka sewn together from small pieces of silk to create an elaborate pictorial "patchwork." Over the centuries, thangkas evolved from being depictions of the Buddha against a fairly plain background to highly elaborate representations of a Buddha or other religious icon surrounded by other deities and symbols to further highlight or expand upon the spiritual meaning of the scroll.

Misconceptions

However frightening the images may appear, the goal is the achievement of peace.

Aside from depictions of the Buddha sitting in meditation, many thangkas include images of deities engaging in overtly sexual acts. Many other thangkas include frightening or demonic-looking entities and scenes of graphic violence. These images are often disturbing to viewers who are not familiar with their religious significance. However, the sexual imagery refers to the duality of nature, while the violent images serve as a reminder of the fragility of life and the need to transcend duality through the attainment of "Buddhahood" or spiritual enlightenment.

Revival

Tibetan art is enjoying a revival in China.

The Chinese communist takeover of Tibet generated a wave of sympathy for and interest in Tibetan culture and art in the West, and Western enthusiasts began to both collect existing artworks and commission new paintings by Tibetan artists in exile in Dharmsala, India. More recently, the Chinese government has eased restrictions on the practice of religion in China. According to an October 29, 2009, New York Times (Asia Pacific) article, "With Explosions of Color, Tibetan Art Flourishes" by Edward Wong, Tibetan thangka art is enjoying a revival both inside Tibet and throughout China. Critics, however, fear that the revival is leading to an unwanted commercialization of the art form.

References

• Art Gallery NSW: Buddhist art of the Himalayas and Vajrayana Buddhism
• Tibetan Thangkas and Their Religious Significance
• New York Times: With Explosions of Color, Tibetan Art Flourishes

Resources

• The Conservation of Tibetan Thangkas: a Group of Symposium Papers