Tibetan Traditional Art: A Personal Introductory Sketch

Introduction

Tibet, which is sandwiched between the two giants of Asia, to the south the mighty Himalayas formed a natural boundary with India and to the north and the east with China, is circled by snow-clad impenetrable mountain-ramparts that is why it is known as Snow-Land, as the snows have remained fossilized for centuries. She had remained an Independent nation with her unique ethnic civilization and history since more than 1000 years. But since the mid 20^th century onward she had witnessed the encroachments into her rights and territories first by the defeated Nationalist regime and later resumed by the brutal Communist regime, which had leaded to the large scale atrocities, massacres, famine and vandalisms suffered by the Tibetan people in their defiance against the first lull to the drastic socialist reforms and revolutions. Yet even in the 21^st century her people at home have been undergoing the same unbearable repressions, atrocities and social discriminations. Even through her such historical tragedies and ill-fates, Tibetan people have been able to uphold her cultural and religious values intact at home and in exile. And here, as not to digress further from the main point, it is about a brief personal introduction of Tibetan Traditional Art and its rough categorized aspects.

Overview

Tibetan Traditional art falls into the category of craftsmanship, one of the five major Tibetan studies. It has its more than 1000 years history. It’s also known that it had been existent in some forms even before the introduction of Buddha Dharma in Tibet; it’s said of the pure native Tibetan art of Bon tradition or any. But it’s historically verified that its established form came into existence with the introduction of Buddhism in Tibet from India, as of being its core theme by and large. Aside from dedicating in depicting mundane landscapes and earthly objects the gross scope of its roles displays heavenly states like Buddha, Guru, deities and their realms for the purpose of dispelling defilements and accumulating virtuous merits. It is, in essence, so closely intertwined with Tibetan Buddhism.

The history of Tibetan art has two stages: the first one begins in the 7^th century and the second in the 11^th century. And they are related with Tenpa Ngadhar, the earlier flourishing of Buddha Dharma, and Tenap Chedhar, the latter flourishing of Buddha Dharma. So it’s up to the dawn and revival of Buddha Dharma, with the interval of total interruption of Buddha Dharma for many decades caused by notoriously known King Lang Darma’s reign in the early 9^th century, that Tibetan art is related its way of development, disappearance and renaissance.

The first phase began in the 7^th century King Songtsen Gampo (617-698) marrying Princess Thritsun, the daughter of King Amshuvarman of Nepal and Princess Wen Ch’eng Kun Chu, the daughter of Emperor T’ang T’ai Tsung of China. It is with the two Princesses, being devoted Buddhist, bringing with them many precious and priceless crafts of religious significances: the famous and one of the earliest sculptures in Tibet, the Jowo, brought by the Chinese Princess; the other such images and paintings by skilled artists brought from Nepal and China. In the 7^th century the Jokhang temple, the abode of the Jowo, and the other 108 Thadul and Yangdul temples were built with the furnishing of figures and images of religious importance. At the end of 8^th century King Thrisong Detsen (790-858), the great-grandson of King Songtsen Gampo, founded Samye monastery, so rich in Buddhist iconography, under the spiritual guidance of Dharma master Guru Rinpoche. It was to become the fundamental monument of Buddhism of Ancient Translation School. The following paragraph from HimalayaCrafts's Notes records the two phases more vividly.

"Buddhism came to the 'land of snow' from India during two major periods, integrating with the ancient Tibetan shamanic religion to produce a vivid, dynamic, and vigorous synthesis. The first spreading of the dharma occurred from the seventh to the ninth centuries CE; the lineages from this period are held by one of the four major schools of Tibetan Buddhism, that of the Nyingma or "Ancient School." The second influx took place between the late tenth to the end of the eleventh centuries, its lineages being held by the three other major schools, the Sakya, the Kagyü, and the Kadam/Gelug. The Nyingmapas are known as the "Ancient Translation School," while the other three lineages are called "New Translation Schools." 

Until the early 9^th century the successive kings of Chogyal dynasty beginning from King Songtsen Gampo had built many religious monuments, where Tibetan Traditional Art is applied from painting, sculpting to carving.

From Samye monastery it is evident that the influence of Nepalese, Indian, Chinese and Persian art was great. Its three-storey main temple was built with the inspirations from the arts and designs of three different countries: the ground floor in Tibetan style, the second floor in Chinese and the third/top floor in Indian.

The second phase began from the 11^th century with the emergence of different artistic schools: From many schools and traditions the following six major ones were well-known and popular for their established grasp of one’s broad and detailed scope.

The first school is Kadam tradition established in the 11^th century with the Kings of Guge in western Tibet imparting Tibetan Buddhist art with the new face, especially influenced by Kashmiri art for the geographical reasons. Kashmiri art, which itself, was influenced by eastern Indian art developed under the rule of Gupta Kings (4^th to 7^th century) and Pala Kings (8^th to 12^th century). This style of art is found in Spiti, Guge, Purang and Tsaparang. This tradition, here in paintings, shows simplicity, spaciousness and basic richness.

The second is Palri tradition or known as Nepalese school, which developed in the 14^th and 15^th century. It was influenced by Pala art of eastern India. This traditional art is especially found in Tashi Lhunpo monastery and in all parts of Tibet as well. It is said serving as the mainstream of Tibetan painting up to the 15^th century.

The third Menri School came into existence from the beginning of 15^th century, which was named after the famous artist Menlha Thondrup from a family of great physicians in southern Tibet. It incorporated the Chinese Zi’u-than style of the Mongol Yuan period.  It lays emphasis on the simplicity and spaciousness with a greater deal on richness of detail. It is taken there being more Persian influence too. The branching out of New Menri school in the 17^th century happened as of Choying Gyatso, a follower of Menri tradition, started his own school doing the wall-paintings of Chokhang Shar temple and the stupa containing the body of first Panchen Lama (1570-1662) in Tashi Lhunpo. Its style is found baroque and overwhelmingly colorful and rich.

The Chinese element in Tibetan art is imparted by the openness of backgrounds, the use of landscapes, the figure of animals and the diagonal action of the figures as well as in the use of delicate pastels.

The fourth tradition is Khyenri dawned in the 16^th century, which was named after the master artist Khyentse Chenmo of Gongkar Gangto. It later merged with New Menri tradition.

The fifth is Karma Gardi pioneered by artist Namkha Trashi in the 16^th century incorporating the merits and nuances of Menri, Indian and Chinese Zi’u-than traditions. But this tradition was known propagated by the artists Choje Trashi and Karma Trashi. Its style of art is clear and precise, spacious and rich and shows marked Chinese influence shown by the use of pastel colors and prominent stylized features of landscapes.

The sixth is Dopal tradition emerged in the 17^th century during the reign of fifth Dalai Lama (1617-1682), which was pioneered by the artists Epa Kugpa (or Hordar) and Tulku Pagtro. The college of this tradition was situated at the foot of Potala palace in Lhasa.

A Brief Sub-classification

Mural Painting

It consists of the painting of Guru, Buddha, deities to heaven and hell depictions. There is the tradition of painting detailed spiritual life of an enlightened Guru. In this category there are variations unique of the different locations of Tibet: Central Tibet U-Tsang, western Tibet Guge, north-eastern Tibet Amdo Rebkong, Eastern Tibet Kham Derge.

Mural painting specimen: the life of Lord Buddha

A mural painting at Sera monastery depicting a deity

Thangka Painting: Tibetan Scroll-painting

It is a Tibetan embroidered silk-brocade bordered painting with its picture panel done in various means as categorized below. From the above three border-strips of silk-brocade on the top and the two sides a square elaborate brocade is placed in the center below the painting, which is known as the door. After its completion it is mounted on usually a red cloth with a full silk cover as the veil for the painting; its top diagonal part held stretched with a flattened piece of wood and the same bottom part with a smoothened cylindrical wood adorned both ends with a Thangdog, a sculpted metal lid. And here the painting is all about religious significances of holy image of Lord Buddha, Guru, deities, madalas, heavenly states, etc. Thanka-paintings were, from the first, religious in nature.

It’s taken as a Nepalese art form imported to Tibet with King Songtsen Gampo’s Nepalese queen. But it is also taken that the first Thangka originated in India with the painting of Wheel of Life, a diagram depicting the world of Samsara. It developed into much wider use in Tibet in the early times for its compactness of being able to scroll up easily and carry from place to place in the nomadic parts for Dharma teaching by a Guru.

A holy painting of the type should follow the laid iconometric measurements so strictly before embarking upon the task of painting and pigmenting on a stretched treated canvas. And for its being fully a sanctified holy image the finished one should be sought the bestowal of blessing Rab-nei from a holy one or an ordained one. 

An iconometric specimen

A rough category: the type of means applied

·         Tson-tang: Painted in colors, the most common one, with the background having different colors (mostly Tri-tang)

·         Tretrubma: Appliqué of needle work (Go-tang)

·         Tsemtrubma: Embroidery (Go-tang)

·         Thagtrubma: Figures woven by hand with different colored silk threads (Go-tang)

·         Lhenthabma: Glued one, the different colored silks are cut into designs and glued into figures (Go-tang)

·         Nag-tang: Black background, the outlines done in gold, vermilion and occasionally in various colors too.(both Go-tang and Tri-tang)

·         Ser-tang: Gold background, the outlines done in vermilion. It has an auspicious treatment used judiciously for painting peaceful long-life deities and fully enlightened Buddhas. (both Go-tang and Tri-tang)

·         Tsal-tang: Red background, the outlines done in gold. (both Go-tang and Tri-tang)

The above eight presented fall into the two main categories: Go-tang (of cloth or thread fabrication) and Tri-tang (of paint-brush work). 

A Nag-tang specimen

Mandala: Sand Art

The Tibetan word Kyilkhor and Sanskirit Mandala literally means the assemblage. It is mainly the floor plan of the heavenly residence of tantric deities, Buddhas and their retinues. It is an assemblage of the main deity and his retinue. Each deity has different form of Mandala, in which the architectural details and colors symbolize different esoteric wisdoms. Mandalas are a variety of shapes: circle, square, triangle and semi-circle. As an object for religious visualization during meditation or for religious support it can be both painted on a canvas and, here, formed on a hard board, drawn with the laid metric measurement outlines, by means of sand dust of different colors. It is known in early times sand-dust of grinded jewels like gold, coral, pearl, diamond and so on was used for forming a sand-Mandala. The main purpose of its consecration, the pure land, is for a tantric practitioner as an aid or support for meditation and also for a certain tantric ritual to get familiar with what one is to embark upon. And such ritual is also carried out for meritorious purposes as well. 

A painted mandala specimen

A sand art mandala

Metal Sculpture Art

And here, too, the whole range of idol-items is of religious significance, idols of enlightened ones like Buddhas and Guru and also of deities. In such case gold-copper is used most commonly than red-copper; it is also used commonly for sculpting terraced ridge-roof (Gya-phib) of a monastery or an abode, the rising top-head (Ser-tok) placed in the mid of a Gya-phib ridge, victory banners (Gyal-tsen) on the top of a monastery or an abode, etc. For a range of religious or ritual objects like butter-lamp bowl, offering bowl, etc, silver and the other materials are also used. There are also skilfully sculpted household objects like kettle, rimmed and bordered wooden bowl and cup, lid for such bowl or cup, etc. But for a finished and filled sculpted idol it, like a finished Thangka, should be taken for Rab-nei blessing by a revered ordained one.

A gold-copper sculpture specimen

A specimen of sculpted 6 syllable holy mantra on a copper disk

A bronze statue of Medicine Buddha

A Tibetan silver sculpture of Snow Lion

Clay Sculpture Art

For example a deity mask made of refined red-soil clay mixed with a sort of furry material and the same is applied for an idol or any other items of religious significances. And for a holy piece the process of Rab-nei blessing should be done as cited above. There are a variety of clay sculptures ranging from religious significance to mundane usage like a sculpted pot or jar.

A holy sculpted clay idol of Guru

A sculpted clay mask of a wrathful deity

Stone Sculpture Art

It’s done directly on a mass of boulder like carving holy mantras and images or on a certain mass of stone like ranging from holy images to any significant motifs, images and designs. It’s yet possible to find the whole holy texts by Je Rinpoche and his adept closest disciples engraved on the stone-masses in Tibet. 

An elderly monk at work sculpting holy mantras and idols

A stone carved Tibetan calendar

Wood Sculpture Art

Aside from holy images, scripts and motifs of religious significances like an extravagant altar/shrine, throne, block-print and idol wood sculpture finds its way for many mundane designs too as like a wood carved dragon, snow lion, lotus, etc. 

15/16th century extravagantly carved manuscript cover

A carved design specimen

A carved wood block of holy images

Butter/Wax Sculpture Art

Aside from its emphasis on religious significances like holy images, motifs, ritual cake ornaments and, especially extravagant depiction of holy life of Buddha and a Guru, butter sculpture is applied for seemingly mundane but of offering types like lotus, dragon, snow-lion, etc. For pigment various colors are used. In Tibet Kubum monastery is famous for its butter sculpture art as like Gyuto and Gyumed monasteries. In Gelug tradition holy offerings of butter sculptures are prepared for their display on the 15^th of Monlam Chemo (Great Prayer Festival for World Peace, Je Rinpoche’s one of the four major spiritual missions), which is commenced after Tibetan New Year, at night. The mass of people come to seek audience and blessing from the holy-offerings. And so such preparation synchronized with the ritual prayer performances should be started out before Tibetan New Year.

A sample of butter sculpture art of holy images

Butter sculpted ornaments of the set ritual cakes before the shrine

Conclusion

In essence, as tried to introduce in ‘at a glance’ mode above, the overall scope of Tibetan Traditional Art is so closely intertwined with the significances of Buddha Dharma, the backbone source of moral supports for a Tibetan to live on his or her life. I do express my feeling of indebtedness to the web-based sources, books, printed matters and the concerned individuals for their material supports in making this piece of writing possible, which is intently prepared for ‘first look’ introduction to the subject for those, especially ardent Westerners, who want to hear and learn about the subject matter in its briefest mode. 

The Fated Twilight: The First Encounter Ever

A Diary Extract

The fluffy flimsy air simmers wilder to the convulsing validity of life-breath roughly distorted amid acute days long hunger unfelt, the bedridden asthmatic, a log like pulsating and wilting aggregated entity—the fading twilight forces me to face it but wonder if I have been taught a lesson so far. The precise timing leaves me flustered, when the hobbling wind-horse of the parting but attached life ushers into the inception of the fleeting moment, so ephemeral, of Last Breath, seemingly hapless… One’s integrity is put to test here, how one challenges or optimizes the sacred moment beginning from the abrupt twist in normal breathing rhythm to the process leading up to the Clear Light state, where one experienced is known as rewarded to seize the so rare opportunity to come into direct contact with the Ultimate Reality the state exudes lavishly, which, so fleetingly a glance for an inexperienced commoner, is followed by the explosion of the genetic seed-code of white and red substances, the red coming atop of white—when the wind-horse collapses utterly releasing ‘life’ away from the object body or corpse.

Yet another aged one of those a few left, the forerunners and rehabilitators of this fated learning center in exile, leaving this world in transition to another face. The aged ones’ home, the new building on the outskirts of the community, with those now living four scattered amid empty living quarters in plenty; only those disorderly growing flower-bearing bushes in its vast front yard exude a sort of consoling cheer in their multi-colours bearing, the only medium of entertainment here amid mute vibe deepening with groans as night advances. Who cares?

In the seeming utter alien realm the only remaining proof of past hardships in the initial stage of seeking asylum first at Buxa, Western India, remains rather aloof filled with rain-water rimmed with greenish coat and dirt. It lies there in the yard slightly in lopsided position as of its crude hemisphere shape, the so useful then to feed them. Lo, the rusted eroding big metal bowl like a giant helmet. It manifests its solidarity with those left despite where it is. It consoles them saying it’s with them ever and so departing with them. It narrates a story of hardships and toils taken, the only true friend of them. But, as I doubt, do they really have the same respite taken out of it, when they cast an accidental glance at it? It sings a melody that can be taken as a metaphorical dirge. Even here it stands amid sheer redundancy appraised of it, must be an exemplary manifestation of love and patience.