Traditional Himalayan Thangka
Beautiful Hand-painted Thangkas made with generations of expertise
What is a Thangka?
A thangka is a traditional painting depicting Buddhist deities, mantras or mandalas. Thangka painting has been practiced for many centuries throughout Tibet and the Himalayas, and is one of, if not the, art form that is most closely associated with Tibetan Buddhism. During the mid-eleventh century, Western Tibet and areas that now fall within the Indian and Ladakhi Himalayan region became a major hub for the translation efforts of Buddhist texts from Sanskrit into Tibetan. It is recorded in the Blue Annals that Indian scholars and Buddhist holy men met and exchanged ideas in this vibrant and academically intense community. This period was significant in the transmission of art forms from India to the Tibetan world, and pata, painted images of deities on cotton made in India, inspired what would become the Tibetan thangka.
Traditional Himalayan ArtISTS
Jordan Quill works exclusively with the Lama family in the painting of contemporary thangkas, actively encouraging the making of high-quality works of Himalayan art. The Lamas are Tamang (རྟ་དམག་/तामाङ), originating in Nepal and speaking a Tibeto-Burman language that shares much of its vocabulary with Tibetan. They are Tibetan Buddhists and regularly seek audience with His Holiness the Fourteenth Dalai Lama in McLeodganj, Dharamsala, or visit the Tibetan Buddhist stupas of Swayambhunath and Boudhanath in Kathmandu.
