Thangka Buddhist Art

Thangka or scroll paintings are sacred artifacts used as physical support in Tibetan Buddhist practices. In Tibetan the word 'than' means flat and the suffix 'ka' stands for painting. The Thangka is thus a kind of painting done on flat surface but which can be rolled up when not required for display. It is either painted or embroidered and is generally hung in monasteries or a family altar and carried by lamas in ceremonial processions. The pictorial subjects of thangkas include portraits of Buddhas, stories from the lives of saints and great masters. Thangka paintings vary in size, ranging from a little over a few square centimeters to several square meters.

A large thangka often takes a large team of artists months, even years, to make. Thangkas are usually rectangular in shape, and the square ones are reserved for mandalas.To Tibetans, the art of thangka is apocalyptical. There is room for the individual painter's creativity only in case of the details of the landscape, the color and shape of the cloud, of rocks and flowers, etc. But what actually illuminates the artifact is its visionary quality. The mystical thangkas are supposed to be the records of visions in all its sensuous details. The Tibetan artist, being concerned primarily with life, death and the life to come, finds it his duty to embody the vision of the life yet to come and thus assist others in their journey towards Nirvana. On the basis of the techniques involved and materials used, thangkas can be broadly divided into two categories: those which are painted (called bris-than in Tibetan) and those which are made of silk either by weaving or with embroidery called (gos-than). The painted thangkas are further divided into five categories

• Thangkas which have different colors in the background
• Thangkas which have a gold background
• Thangkas which have a red background
• Thangkas painted on a black background
• Thangkas whose outlines are printed on cotton support and then touched up with colors

The material most commonly used for thangkas is linen cloth or cotton fabric whereas silk cloth is reserved for important subjects. Before painting begins, the material is stitched along the edges with flax thread and stretched on a specially made wooden frame. Then a paste made of animal glue mixed with talcum powder is spread over its surface to block up the holes in it. When the paste is scraped off and the cloth gets thoroughly dried, the material is ready for painting. To begin, the artist works out the sketches of the images with charcoal sticks. The drawing usually begins with the figure in the center and then goes to the surrounding deities or landscape.The material most commonly used for thangkas is linen cloth or cotton fabric whereas silk cloth is reserved for important subjects. Before painting begins, the material is stitched along the edges with flax thread and stretched on a specially made wooden frame. Then a paste made of animal glue mixed with talcum powder is spread over its surface to block up the holes in it.