What is Thangka Mandala?

A thangka, variously spelt as thangka, tangka, thanka, or tanka (Nepali pronunciation: [ˈt̪ʰaŋka]; Tibetan: ཐང་ཀ་; Nepal Bhasa: पौभा), is a Tibetan Buddhist painting on cotton, silk appliqué, usually depicting a Buddhist deity, scene, or mandala.

How much does a thangka cost?

Cost of a Thangka Painting An original Thangka Painting would cost anywhere from $1000 to $15000. The cost of a Thangka depends upon its size and the intricate detailing. An artist works up to 8 hrs a day for more than five months to complete an average Thangka painting.

How is thanka made?

Making of Thanka The white cloth is first mounted on a frame and water-based colloid chalk is applied to the surface. It is polished with talc when dried. The canvas is thus ready for painting. Apart from this, there are thanka which are webs of embroidery, woven silk, silk tapestry or appliqué.

What is thangka painting of Sikkim?

Thangka Painting of Sikkim: Religious Art (Early 20th century)Dastkari Haat Samiti. The culmination of Tibetan Buddhist art, thangkas are pictorial religious scrolls. Most often hand painted with mineral colours and gold dust, traditional thangkas were also embroidered or appliqued.

What is the purpose of a thangka painting?

A thangka painting was traditionally a portable fabric scroll, kept unframed, and intended to be used either for personal meditation or in order to instruct other individuals in Buddhist teachings.

Can thangkas be considered a visual representation of a spiritual reality?

Historically, thangkas were used as teaching aids He would carry with him painted scrolls to convey spiritually significant events, aspects of different deities, or Buddhist concepts. Made strictly according to the scriptures, thangkas are considered a visual representation of a spiritual reality.

What is the cost of thangka painting?

One of the finest of all mandala paintings from 14th-century Tibet, Thangka Depicting a Hevajra Mandala achieved $2.4 million, twice its high estimate.

How long does it take to paint a thangka?

It may be evident how Thangka Paintings are inherently sacred and quite different from ordinary works of modern art. The foundational lines are done in pencil (followed by black ink in old Tibet) and take between 10 to 30 days to complete, depending on the size and complexity of the Thangka Painting.

Why are thangkas covered?

The dowels are suspended in clam shell archival boxes so that the weight of the thangka is not carried by parts of the painting. The clam shell boxes protect the thangkas from dust, light and pressure and allow efficient use of storage space.

Where is thangka painting found?

Thangka paintings were created in those regions where Tibetan Buddhism was practiced including Mongolia, Ladakh, Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh and parts of Himalayan India.

What are thangka used for?

Thangkas have a variety of uses, but they are mostly used as a means of gaining merit, in death rituals, during meditation, and in Buddhist ceremonies. In order to learn more about Tibetan Buddhism, I spent two and a half weeks studying thangka painting.

Where are thangka painting found?