Thang-ga, also known as Tangga, is a Tibetan transliteration of religious scrolls framed in colored satin and hung for worship. Many people have only heard of it, so let's enjoy it together
Thangka is a unique form of painting in Tibetan culture.
The subject matter covers many fields such as Tibetan history, politics, culture and social life.
It has distinct national characteristics, strong religious color and unique artistic style.
The world of the divine Buddha is depicted with bright colors.
Pigments are traditionally made of precious mineral gemstones such as gold, silver, pearls, agate, coral, turquoise, malachite, cinnabar, and plants such as saffron, rhubarb, and blue indigo.
These natural raw materials guarantee that the thangkas painted are brightly colored and dazzling.
Although it has gone through hundreds of years, it is still bright and colorful. Therefore, it is known as a treasure of Chinese national painting art.
The drawing of thangkas is demanding and the procedures are extremely complex, and must be carried out in accordance with the rituals in the scriptures and the requirements of the guru.
Including pre-painting ceremony, making canvas, composition and drafting, coloring and dyeing, line shaping, laying gold and silver, opening the eyes, sewing and opening the light and a complete set of process procedures.
It takes a long time to make a thangka, half a year to complete, and more than ten years to complete.
Thangka has a unique color language with distinct personality and special meaning, which is very complex but very strict.
It has a fixed color spectrum: red, blue, green, yellow, white, gold, black as the main tone, gold and black mostly as hooks and decorations.
Each of the main colors, in different subjects, accurately represents a specific religious meaning, and at the same time can make the color of the picture harmonious and beautiful, pleasing to the eye.
This kind of color relationship has been formed by Buddhist painters for thousands of years through repeated exploration, continuous induction, and long-term refinement, and it is definitely not something that can be completed by someone or a certain school at one time and one place.
There are many varieties of thangkas, which can be roughly divided into drawing thangkas, printing thangkas, brocade thangkas, embroidered thangkas, silk thangkas, decal thangkas, collage thangkas, pearl thangkas, mosaic thangkas, etc.
From the perspective of drawing techniques, there are ink freehand, heavy color, and pure line drawing.
The origin and rise and fall of thangka is closely related to Tibetan Buddhism.
The rise and development of this art of painting coincided with the introduction of Indian Buddhism to Tibet.
At that time, in Tibetan areas, nomadic life was still the main mode of production in many areas.
A fixed temple alone cannot meet the religious needs of many wandering believers.
So thangka, an art that appeared mainly in the form of scroll paintings.
It satisfies the religious needs of believers and becomes a gift that they can carry with them.
As a result, the art of painting of thangka came into being and flourished.
Some people also called the thangka "flowing mural" in view of its easy-to-carry characteristics.
Eventually, a situation was formed in which "Tibetan monasteries are the halls of Buddhist painting art.". The prosperity of thangka depended on the prosperity of Tibetan Buddhism.
Thangka is known as the "Encyclopedia of Tibetan Culture", and its subject matter is mainly religious, involving history, politics, economy, culture, folklore, secular life, architecture, medicine, astronomy, calendar and other fields.