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The Tender-Faced Bodhisattva Manjushri

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$1039

Four pillars uphold the idea of Bodhisattvahood in Buddhism. Together with Avalokiteshvara, Kshitigarbha, and Samantabhadra, Bodhisattva Manjushri rules over all bodhisattvas. He is a deity of gentle bearing, characterised by a composure of supreme calm. Zoom in on the sweet face of the Bodhisattva in this thangka. Despite the weapons in His hands and the decisive stance of the arms that wield them, He looks on at the world with a gaze that is warm and profoundly comforting.

His skin is an arresting scarlet colour. Each of His three heads bears a five-spired crown and kundalas dangling from earlobes lengthened by lifetimes of sadhana and accumulated wisdom. His characteristic sword cuts through clouds of avidya (ignorance) and in one of His six hands He holds a manuscript of the Prajnaparamita. The pastel-coloured silks that clothe the Bodhisattva, the tender pink lotus of the pedestal, and the ice-blue fire-spewing creature He is seated on, make for a signature thangka-style colour palette.

At the ends of His aureole sit His two wives, the fairest, most well-endowed beings of the Buddhist paraloka. Across the aureole itself is painted a world of mythical creatures, culminating in a cherub of the tantric world. The peach-coloured lotuses peeking out from the edge of the aureole and the deep blue sky beyond, serve to tone down the aura of these creatures.

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Item Code:	TZ85
Specifications:	Tibetan Thangka Painting
Dimensions	Size of Painted Surface 18.7 inch X 22.5 inch Size with Brocade 34 inch X 50.5 inch

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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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