Description
A tanka, thangka, also t(h)an(g)ka, is a painted or embroidered Tibetan Buddhist banner originally hung in a monastery or above a family altar and carried by monks during ceremonial processions. The Tibetan word "thang" means "flat" and indicates that a thangka is a painting on a flat surface, which can be rolled up when not required for display. For this reason, it is also called a scroll painting. The most common shape of the thangka is rectangular in portrait orientation. The image is traditionally painted on cotton prepared with yak hide glue mixed with lime. Pigments are used for the paint, with yak fat as a binder. This paint is waterproof and elastic after drying. The thangka usually has a silk curtain to protect the image from light, if desired.
Thangka paintings initially became popular among traveling monks because they could be easily rolled up and transported from monastery to monastery. These thangkas served as important teaching aids, depicting the lives of the Buddha, Bodhisattva, and various influential lamas and deities. A popular theme is the wheel of life, a visual representation of the Abhidhamma teachings. Thangkas are seen by some as colorful wall decorations, while for Buddhists they represent divine apparitions.
When a thangka is well-made, it fulfills several functions. For example, images of deities are used as teaching aids when depicting the life or lives of Buddha, describing historical events surrounding important lamas, or retelling myths of deities. Religious images serve as the focal point of a ritual or ceremony and often provide a medium through which prayers or requests can be made. Generally, religious art is used as a meditation aid to help one progress on the path to enlightenment.
Painting in Nepal
