The captivating art of Thangka painting holds a special place in Tibetan Buddhist culture. These intricate scroll paintings serve as powerful tools for meditation, teaching, and devotion. Their rich history and symbolism, along with a range of techniques and styles, make thangka paintings a unique and compelling art form to explore. Let us delve deeper into the world of thangka painting through its various classifications.
Classifications Based on Content in Thangka Painting
The subjects depicted in thangka paintings are vast and varied. Furthermore, this artistic expression serves different spiritual purposes, from honoring deities to narrating important historical moments. The range of content, therefore, allows the categorization of these paintings into two primary groups: religious and non-religious.
Religious Thangka Painting: A Window to Spirituality
Religious thangka painting is a realm teeming with significant imagery, encompassing several subjects central to Tibetan Buddhism. In addition to Buddhas, these include Bodhisattvas, Tara, protectors, deities and more.
Also, some thangkas focus on Jataka tales and depict Buddha’s past lives.
Other notable subjects of religious Thangka paintings are Mandalas, which symbolize the universe according to Buddhist philosophy. The biographies of monks and founders also form a popular category.
Furthermore, auspicious prayers, worldviews (cycle of life) constitute another section of Religious Thangka paintings. These artistic expressions embody the core tenets of Buddhist belief.
Paintings in this subcategory feature iconic Tibetan structures like the Potala Palace, Norbulingka, and the Jokhang Temple, alongside the likes of Samye Monastery and more. Also included are monasteries and other spiritual places throughout Tibet and surrounding areas. Furthermore, they hold cultural and religious significance and serve to connect people to history. Therefore, they create an emotional experience and allow one to contemplate the past.
Non-Religious Thangka: A Celebration of Knowledge and Culture
While the vast majority of thangka painting features Buddhist content, there are secular types. Also, they include illustrations related to Tibetan medicine and astrology, and historical and cultural documentation, along with modern decorative pieces. Moreover, they offer a fascinating glimpse into different aspects of Tibetan life, science, history and aesthetics.
Thangka Depicting Tibetan Medicine and Astrology
These artworks represent vital teachings in medicine. The Thangka Painting method presents them with clarity, making them practical for future generations. Likewise, astrology thangkas present celestial science knowledge. These thangkas are artistic aids in transferring technical information.
Thangka as a Medium to Capture History and Culture
Thangka paintings have also played an important role in documenting historical events and preserving local customs, allowing knowledge to travel to the next generation. Furthermore, modern artists are now embracing the tradition. In doing so, they’ve produced original pieces for the purpose of decorating. Therefore, thangka can also function as an accessible art for cultural expression.
Material Classifications: “Go Tang” vs. “Zhi Tang” Thangka Painting
Moving beyond the subject matter, the materials used in the creation of thangka paintings are an important factor in classifying these works of art. These are grouped under two general headings; Go Tang (also known as Gui Tang or Guo Tang), and Zhi Tang (or Chi Tang). The materials of these two classifications influence their appearance, making each category unique and allowing for further subdivisions.
Understanding the Rich Texture of “Go Tang” Thangka
“Go Tang” paintings are created using silk and other fabrics. The materials are then processed through manual sewing, embroidery, weaving, and even stenciling. “Go Gu,” one of the largest, refers to monumental thangka, often used to display Buddha images. Moreover, these are some of the most important types of Thangka in monasteries, especially during significant events. For instance, the huge Amitayus Buddha Go Gu thangka in the Potala Palace remains a celebrated example of such artwork. Additionally, the diversity in method and application contributes to unique aesthetics.
Subdivisions Within “Go Tang”
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Cloth Thangka Painting: These are painted on a white cloth coated with a gelatinous mixture, usually after stretching onto a frame, followed by talc smoothing. They showcase fine detail and careful application of paint.
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Embroidery Thangka Painting: Utilizing vibrantly colored threads, embroidery work allows for intricate patterns and depictions. This results in stunning visual effects through various stitching techniques.
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Brocade Thangka Painting: The method involves woven satin with colored threads used to lift and interlacing the warps. Moreover, they’re formed into patterns during the process.
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Appliqué Thangka Painting: Various pieces of fabric are used for creating a layered picture. They are then stitched to a fabric backing in an arrangement known as “piled embroidery.”
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Kesi Thangka Painting: These are woven with a tapestry weaving approach and are made to give a 3-D like result.
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Painted Thangka Painting: This group includes work made on various material and, when mounted, they are referred as a thangka.
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Pearl Thangka Painting: Crafted from intricately strung pearls that give patterns on fabric and result in valuable and captivating pieces of art.
Delving into the Simplicity of “Zhi Tang” Thangka
“Zhi Tang”, which means, paintings, in the truest sense of the word. They are painted directly onto the canvas by utilizing pigment colors. Also, their finished appearance is covered with a layer of decorative brocade. The size of a Zhi Tang painting can vary considerably, however. There are two key ways to classify this Thangka, they are by size and, most prominently, the primary colors utilized in the process.
Variations in “Zhi Tang” Thangka: Colors and Style
The classifications for Zhi Tang mostly rely on the background colors chosen for their creation:
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Tsai Tang: Characterized by different colors and intricate imagery painted against a white background.
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Gold Thangka Painting: A golden background elevates these thangka, making them very exquisite and costly to make.
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Silver Thangka Painting: Works done on a silver background creates unique appearance and adds an interesting flair.
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Red Thangka Painting/Chiton: A deep red hue is the prominent background color in the case of a Red Thangka.
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Black Thangka Painting: Use a dark and striking black as the central shade for the works.
Also, the designs in printed “Zhi Tang” paintings, though also painted, take reference from the prints in “Go Tang,” however, are printed on cotton rather than the silk fabrics.
Thangka Painting by School: Exploring Distinct Styles
The development of thangka paintings throughout history has resulted in a wide array of stylistic expressions, each defined by lineage, techniques and location. While numerous schools have contributed to this artistic history, currently, there are three that are primarily recognized as influential, Menri, Mensar and Karma Gadri. Let’s dive deep into them and understand the main qualities they embody.
The Influence of the Menri School
The Menri School, also known as Menthang, is very important in the landscape of Tibetan painting. Moreover, the Menri is based in Lhasa with a history rooted in the U-Tsang area. In addition to being an established painter, its founder, Menla Dondrup Gyatso, laid the foundations through teachings in iconography. His approach led him to pinpoint and refine the measurements of images of Buddha figures through the practice of detailed painting, which later laid down new rules of practice in the area. Furthermore, his meticulous method earned him the reputation that his work demanded to have. The artist Choying Gyatso absorbed these core elements, along with new painting techniques, establishing the New Menri School that enhanced the artistic styles in its evolution.
The Unique Vision of the Mensar School
Named after its founder Gongkar Gyaltsen Ozer, the Mensar school gained popularity during the mid 15th century. The region where it first began was the Tsang and Lhoka areas. As an artist, he held the position of deeply loving and appreciating artistic works of all kinds. By his ability, he precisely recreated the world around him from observation. After maturing as an artist, he further committed himself to Buddhist paintings and cultivated his unique style. His distinct methodology further cemented the legacy of Mensar within the history of Thangka painting.
Exploring the Lineage of the Karma Gadri School
The Karma Gadri, alternatively called the Karma Gardri school, originates in eastern Tibet and is named after the Karma Kagyu Grand Assembly. Established by the Lama Namkha Tashi, this unique methodology borrowed heavily from various cultural influences. In this case, specifically the Brahmanical bronze Buddha statues served as its influence for styles and construction of artwork. Also, he had significant inspiration from Menri artists of his time, including Gaden Nyima Gyaltsen Palzang, to create a school of painting. His contemporary, the Eighth Karmapa, Mikyo Dorje contributed a work that detailed guidelines of proportions for this school in his famous theoretical work “The Sunlike Mirror of Linear Proportions”.
Regional Classification: Capturing Diverse Thangka Painting Traditions
Further, the classification of thangka paintings is influenced by the unique customs and cultures present within those respective regions. Therefore, their regional classification not only provides insight to history and cultural norms of places in Tibet, it additionally highlights regional differences. Modern study in Thangka painting categories artworks as belonging to Uchi School, Tsang School, Kham School, Gyantse School, Western Kham School, Guge School, and Rebkong Arts. However, this isn’t always clear in a commercial setting and many retailers broadly define it in 3 ways such as Nepalese thangkas, Tibet region Thangkas and Rebkong Arts, according to different trading circumstances.
Size Classifications of Thangka Painting
The method of classifying thangkas by their sizes is a straightforward one. It groups paintings under the categories: large, monumental thangkas; standard size thangkas; and small, miniature paintings. These categories are clear in relation to their dimensions. Furthermore, these different sizes meet a range of functional needs from grand public displays, private meditation or spiritual practice, all the way to decorative objects.
In conclusion, Thangka painting, as a versatile medium that serves many important cultural and religious purposes. Additionally, it is important to see the classifications within Thangka, as it offers many viewpoints into its study. By its content, method of material use, schools or location and scale, you can start appreciating Thangka paintings in its fullest forms. So, go ahead and embark on a journey of studying them, learning their significance, and be inspired by their intricate beauty and artistry!
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