The real thangka will still be dazzling even after hundreds of years, because the pigments used in the thangka are basically pure mineral pigments, pigments extracted from ores. Such as coral, turquoise, pearls, cinnabar and so on.
The ore pigments used in thangka paintings
Generally speaking, the ore pigments used in traditional thangkas are divided into main colors and secondary colors, of which the main colors are white, yellow, red, blue and green. The secondary color refers to the color mixed by more than two main colors, such as orange, flesh color, etc., which can be divided into a variety of colors, and the types of color matching are also diverse. It is worth mentioning that the production of these mineral pigments is completely done by hand.
In addition, the gold used in the thangka is also hand-ground from real gold, usually 98 gold for warm colors and 74 gold for cool colors.
So how do you tell if a thangka was painted with ore pigments? If there is no professional equipment, I personally think that the following methods can be used to identify.
Smell Usually the ore pigments used in thangkas are mixed with cowhide boiled glue before being applied to the canvas, and it is generally smelly to smell with the nose at close range.
The ore pigments used in touching thangkas are generally ground by hand, so their particle sizes are uneven, and there will be a rough feel when gently touched.
Illuminate the screen obliquely with strong light, and look closely at the flash of ore crystals, as well as slight refraction of light due to the different sizes of particles.
Whether a thangka has collectible value and whether it is painted with ore pigments is a basic condition.
Next, please enjoy a group of Puxian Bodhisattva Thangkas numbered 155-460136:
