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Ekadashamukha (Eleven-Headed) Avalokiteshvara (Tibetan Buddhist Deity)

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$295

Ekadashamukha Avalokiteshvara, or the Eleven Faced Lord Looking at the World, is the bodhisattva of compassion. Bodhisattvas are people who are on their path towards enlightenment. He is depicted in art as one with eleven faces and many hands, symbolizing him as a deity who meditates. In this thangka, his eight hands are painted, each holding or doing a signature pose.

Two hands are in Anjali to signify the absolute. Another set of hands is in Varada mudra as a form of blessing or boon. Other hands hold significant Buddhist symbols like the Wheel of Law, a jewel, lotus flower, bow and arrow, water jar. The figure is painted in standing position on a lotus flower platform, the flower symbolizing purity, and with thousands of hands forming a circle around the deity.

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Item Code:	TV13
Specifications:	Tibetan Thangka Painting
Dimensions	Size of Painted Surface 16.2 inch X 23.5 inch Size with Brocade 28 inch X 47 inch

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Avalokiteshvara promised of finding the self after breaking the head in 10 pieces and the body into 1000. This rose from knowing the miseries of man and was inspired to seek his happiness. At some point, the head and body truly broke and he called out for Amitabha who then picked up the pieces and made a body with 10 faces (the perfections), with his own as the 11th.

Then the 1000 pieces of the body were made to form 1000 hands with an eye on the palm (zoom in on the thanka to see this detail) symbolizing a thousand buddhas from the Golden Eon. The painting showcases a pleasing blue and yellow palette, with contrasting colors on the faces. Three peaceful sets of heads are drawn with a crown while the wrathful face (Mahakala) has a crown of skulls.

Unveiling the Divine Art: Journey into the Making of Thangkas

A Thangka is a traditional Tibetan Buddhist painting that usually depicts a Buddhist Deity (Buddha or Bodhisattva), a scene, or a mandala. These paintings are considered important paraphernalia in Buddhist rituals. They are used to teach the life of the Buddha, various lamas, and Bodhisattvas to the monastic students, and are also useful in visualizing the deity while meditating. One of the most important subjects of thangkas is the Bhavacakra (the wheel of life) which depicts the Art of Enlightenment. It is believed that Thangka paintings were developed over the centuries from the murals, of which only a few can be seen in the Ajanta caves in India and the Mogao caves in Gansu Province, Tibet. Thangkas are painted on cotton or silk applique and are usually small in size. The artist of these paintings is highly trained and has a proper understanding of Buddhist philosophy, knowledge, and background to create a realistic and bona fide painting.

The process of making a thangka begins with stitching a loosely woven cotton fabric onto a wooden frame. Traditionally, the canvas was prepared by coating it with gesso, chalk, and base pigment.

After this, the outline of the form of the deity is sketched with a pencil or charcoal onto the canvas using iconographic grids. The drawing process is followed in accordance with strict guidelines laid out in Buddhist scriptures. The systematic grid helps the artist to make a geometrical and professional painting. When the drawing of the figures is finalized and adjusted, it is then outlined with black ink.

Earlier, a special paint of different colors was made by mixing powdered forms of organic (vegetable) and mineral pigments in a water-soluble adhesive. Nowadays, artists use acrylic paints instead. The colors are now applied to the sketch using the wet and dry brush techniques. One of the characteristic features of a thangka is the use of vibrant colors such as red, blue, black, green, yellow, etc.

In the final step, pure gold is coated over some parts of the thangka to increase its beauty. Due to this beautification, thangkas are much more expensive and also stand out from other ordinary paintings.

Thangka paintings are generally kept unrolled when not on display on the wall. They also come with a frame, a silken cover in front, and a textile backing to protect the painting from getting damaged. Because Thangkas are delicate in nature, they are recommended to be kept in places with no excess moisture and where there is not much exposure to sunlight. This makes them last a long time without their colors fading away. Painting a thangka is an elaborate and complex process and requires excellent skills. A skilled artist can take up to 6 months to complete a detailed thangka painting. In earlier times, thangka painters were lamas that spent many years on Buddhist studies before they painted.

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