What is a Thangka? Tibet's Thousand-Year Sacred Art

Origins

The thangka (Tibetan: ཐང་ཀ་) is a scroll painting on cotton canvas dating to 7th-century Tibet. Each thangka is a window into the enlightened world.

The Making

1. Stretching and priming — canvas is stretched on a wooden frame and primed with chalk and hide glue.
2. Canonical sketching — the proportions of every deity strictly follow iconometric scripture.
3. Mineral pigments — colors are ground from gemstones: blue from lapis, red from cinnabar, gold from 24k leaf.
4. Opening the eyes — the final step, painting the deity's eyes on an auspicious day.

Meaning

A thangka is not merely art but a support for meditation, accumulating merit for painter and patron alike.