Thangka is a type of painting on cloth or paper, mounted on brocade as a scroll painting. In addition to techniques rich in ethnic characteristics, it incorporates various artistic skills such as embroidery, appliqué, and brocade, making it an integrated art form in Tibetan culture. The origin of the word "Thangka": In Tibetan, "Thangka" has three spellings: thangka, thangkha, and thangga, which can be translated as "Thangka," "Kangga," or "Tangka." The character "Tang" (唐) represents boundless space, while "Ka" (卡) signifies filling. The content of Thangka is predominantly religious paintings, with a small number of works depicting social history, secular life, medicine, astronomy, etc.
These can be broadly categorized into the following twenty types:
1. Buddhism,
2. Bodhisattvas,
3. Female deities (Buddha mothers),
4. Arhats,
5. Tantric protector deities,
6. Sect founders and historical elites,
7. Doctrinal and disciplinary diagrams,
8. Myths and legends,
9. Calendrical and medical diagrams,
10. Historical narratives,
11. Ancient temple architecture,
12. Religious patterns.
The origin of Thangka is debated in academia, with several main viewpoints:
Thangka is a painting form introduced from India with Buddhism, proposed by Italian scholar Giuseppe Tucci. He believed Thangka originated from the ancient Indian religious cloth painting "Pata," which spread to Tibet with Buddhism. The difference between Pata and Han Chinese paintings lies mainly in the canvas: Han paintings typically use paper or silk, while Pata uses cotton cloth, consistent with Thangka's canvas.
Proposed by Chinese scholar Xie Jisheng, Thangka was influenced by Central Plains painting. In his article "The Origin of Thangka," he stated: "The art form of Thangka itself did not come from India; in fact, its evolution aligns with the development of scroll paintings in the Central Plains from the Han-Tang to Song-Yuan periods, originating in Dunhuang, where Tibetan and Han interactions were frequent."
Thangka evolved from the cloth paintings of Tibet's indigenous Bön religion. Bön monks used portable cloth paintings for preaching, which were later adopted by Buddhism.
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Posted an update: 2025-8-19 10:58:11 27