Thangka, also called Thang-ga, is a kind of religious scroll painting which is decorated by colorful silk thread. Thangka is a unique form of painting in Tibetan culture and is commonly can be found hung in a monastery or family altar. Its subjects relate to the Tibetan religion, history, culture, arts, science, technology, etc. It is the crystallization of the Tibetan people’s faith and wisdom.
Thangka first appeared in the period of Songtsan (617AD – 650AD). Originally, it was used as an important teaching tool as it depicted the life of the Buddha, myths about some deities, historical events related to important Lamas, etc. In ancient times, it was always carried by traveling monks from monastery to monastery.
Based on the technique, Thangka can be divided into several categories, namely painted Thangka, weaving Thangka, embroidery Thangka, paster Thangka, etc. Painted Thangkas are the most commonly seen among all the categories.
Color is more than a visual function for Thangka as all the colors have their own symbolic meaning, especially red, yellow, blue, and white.
The red — power
The yellow — merit is large, knowledgeable. Yellow depicts character especially for the person who is mild and slightly with serious characters.
The blue — angry, serious, vicious, but without losing beauty
The white — Good luck, purity, compassion and peace
When you have some knowledge of the meaning of these colors, you can better understand Thangka.
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