Tangkha painting (Tangka)

Tangkha, a transliteration of a Tibetan word, refers to a kind of painting scroll mounted on dyed brocade. The tangkha painting is one of two splendid gems of Tibetan art along with Tibetan-style murals. A tangkha is usually one metre long, but the largest could extend for several dozen metres. For their distinct ethnic flavor, heady religious aura, and unique art style, tangkha has been cherished among the Tibetans as treasures. These paintings cover a wide range of themes, which fall into the following categories:

Mahasanghika school of tangkha painting. This school of tangkha painting is devoted ot Sakyamuni, Maitreyand the Eighteen Arhats who are the main characters of the Mahasanghika sect of Buddhism. Painints devoted to this sect are found in various temples in Tibet.

Esoteric School of tangkha painting. The figures portrayed by this school of tangkha painting are mostly in grotesque and ferocious images. Quite a few of the paintings feature two figures that have their bodies intertwined.

Indian Adaptation of tangkha painting. In this school of tangkha painting Buddhist sages are portrayed with their torso naked and their body twisted, with slender waists and fat hips. The facial expressions of the subjects are as a rule calm and gentle.

Goddess school of tangkha painting. In start contrast with the Han tradition of Buddhism which is virtually devoid of female deities, Tibetan Buddhism abounds in them. This give rise to a school of tangkha painting devoted exclusively to goddesses.

Apart from these four categories, there are also tangkha paintings that are devoted to folklore, local habits and customs, Tibetan medicine and historical tales.

The tangkha paintings can be hung up on walls, and thus they are easy to be collected and stored. Such paintings can be done on a variety of media, such as cloth, embroidery, tapestry woven in fine silk and gold thread, and mosaic fashioned out of pearls. Padded embroidery, however, is the most artistic of all, as this school of tangkha painting is made by patching up hundreds or even thousands of pieces of brocade, which is a combination of Han and Tibetan art. Pearl mosaic tangkhas are a rarity anywhere in the world.