Mandala Five

This Tanka depicts Mandala. Mandala, a circle which is a device for the Tantric meditation. There are many types and varieties of Mandalas depending on the nature of the central deity. The most classic pattern of the Mandala are of the Dhyani Buddha. The Mandala represent the 'palace of purity' a magical sphere cleared of spiritual obstacles and unpurified. The square of the 'Sacred Palace' proper is end used in multiple circles of flame, Varja, eight centuries (appears only in wrathful deities) lotus, then the inner square to reach the deity of Mandala. Painted thankas are done on cotton canvas or silk with water soluble pigments, both mineral and organic, tempered with a herb and glue solution - in Western terminology, a distemper technique. The entire process demands great mastery over the drawing and perfect understanding of iconometric principles. The composition of a thanka, as with the majority of Buddhist art, is highly geometric. Arms, legs, eyes, nostrils, ears, and various ritual implements are all laid out on a systematic grid of angles and intersecting lines. A skilled thanka artist will generally select from a variety of predesigned items to include in the composition, ranging from alms bowls and animals, to the shape, size, and angle of a figure's eyes, nose, and lips. The process seems very scientific, but often requires a very deep understanding of the symbolism of the scene being depicted, in order to capture the essence or spirit of it. Thangka are often overflowing with symbolism and allusion. Because the art is explicitly religious all symbols and allusions must be in accordance with strict guidelines laid out in buddhist scripture. The artist must be properly trained and have sufficient religious understanding, knowledge and background in order to create an accurate and appropriate thangka. Lipton and Ragnubs clarify this in Treasures of Tibetan Art: “This art exemplifies the nirmanakaya, the physical body of Buddha, and also the qualities of the Buddha, perhaps in the form of a deity. Art objects, therefore, must follow rules specified in the Buddhist scriptures regarding proportions, shape, color, stance, hand positions, and attributes in order to personify correctly the Buddha or Deities.”

Price :: $595.00

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