Tibetan Buddhist Goddess White Tara -Goddess of Long Life (Thangka Without Brocade)

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$255

Tara is a meditation deity revered in Buddhism. Worship for her is believed to help beings develop an understanding of compassion, kindness, and emptiness. Tibetan Buddhism is said to have 21 manifestations, as reflected in the prayer of Praise of the 21 Taras. Each of the twenty-one takes on a color, the White Tara being one of the more renowned ones. She is also called the Mother of Buddhas, one who embodies motherly compassion.

The White Tara, as depicted in this thangka, has one face and three eyes which shows her power to see the past, present, and future. She has two hands and feet, each of which has an eye each, bringing her total eyes to seven which represents her ability to see suffering throughout the world. Her right hand is in a mudra of generosity while her left-hand holds a lotus (at the level of her ear). She also sits on a lotus throne, above a moon disc as a sign of tranquility. The painting uses mostly gold tones for the figure to symbolize the brightness brought by enlightenment while the red backdrop signifies good tidings. She is opulently dressed and brandishes a tiara where a small image of Amitabha, the Buddha of Infinite Light, can be seen. She is also surrounded by deities and buddhas (Shakyamuni Buddha at the top directly on top of her head) on her retinue among the skies and mountain ranges that represent the Himalayas.

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Item Code:	TZ80
Specifications:	Tibetan Thangka Painting
Dimensions	Size- 21 inch X 29.7 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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