Tibetan Thangka Remake - Hayagriva

Introducing “Treasures of Tibet” collection by Serge Averbukh, showcasing meticulous digital paintings of various Tibetan artifacts and works of art.... more

by Serge Averbukh

Title

Tibetan Thangka Remake - Hayagriva

Artist

Serge Averbukh

Medium

Photograph - Instagram Photo

Description

Introducing “Treasures of Tibet” collection by Serge Averbukh, showcasing meticulous digital paintings of various Tibetan artifacts and works of art. Here you will find framed and wrapped/stretched canvas fine art prints, featuring Tibetan Thangka - Wrathful Deity Hayagriva.

A thangka, also known as tangka, thanka or tanka (Tibetan: ཐང་ཀ་; Nepal Bhasa: पौभा) is a painting on cotton, or silk appliqué, usually depicting a Buddhist deity, scene, or mandala of some sort. Thangka is a Nepalese art form exported to Tibet after Princess Bhrikuti of Nepal, daughter of King Lichchavi, married Songtsän Gampo, the ruler of Tibet imported the images of Aryawalokirteshwar and other Nepalese deities to Tibet. The thankga is not a flat creation like an oil painting or acrylic painting but consists of a picture panel which is painted or embroidered over which a textile is mounted and then over which is laid a cover, usually silk. Generally, thangkas last a very long time and retain much of their lustre, but because of their delicate nature, they have to be kept in dry places where moisture won't affect the quality of the silk. It is sometimes called a scroll-painting.
These thangka served as important teaching tools depicting the life of the Buddha, various influential lamas and other deities and bodhisattvas. One subject is The Wheel of Life, which is a visual representation of the Abhidharma teachings (Art of Enlightenment).
Thangka, when created properly, perform several different functions. Images of deities can be used as teaching tools when depicting the life (or lives) of the Buddha, describing historical events concerning important Lamas, or retelling myths associated with other deities. Devotional images act as the centerpiece during a ritual or ceremony and are often used as mediums through which one can offer prayers or make requests. Overall, and perhaps most importantly, religious art is used as a meditation tool to help bring one further down the path to enlightenment.

Based on technique and material, thangkas can be grouped by types. Generally, they are divided into two broad categories: those that are painted (Tib.) bris-tan—and those made of silk, either by appliqué or embroidery.
Thangkas are further divided into these more specific categories:

• Painted in colors (Tib.) tson-tang—the most common type
• Appliqué (Tib.) go-tang
• Black Background—meaning gold line on a black background (Tib.) nagtang
• Blockprints—paper or cloth outlined renderings, by woodcut/woodblock printing
• Embroidery (Tib.) tsem-thang
• Gold Background—an auspicious treatment, used judiciously for peaceful, long-life deities and fully enlightened buddhas
• Red Background—literally gold line, but referring to gold line on a vermillion (Tib.) mar-tang

Whereas typical thangkas are fairly small, between about 18 and 30 inches tall or wide, there are also giant festival thangkas, usually Appliqué, and designed to be unrolled against a wall in a monastery for particular religious occasions. These are likely to be wider than they are tall, and may be sixty or more feet across and perhaps twenty or more high.
Somewhat related are Tibetan tsakli, which look like miniature thangkas, but are usually used as initiation cards or offerings.
Because Thangkas can be quite expensive, people nowadays use posters of Thangkas as an alternative to the real thangkas for religious purposes.

In Buddhism, wrathful deities are enlightened beings who take on wrathful forms in order to lead sentient beings to enlightenment. They are a notable feature of the iconography of Mahayana Buddhism and of Tibetan Buddhism, and other Vajrayana traditions in particular. A wrathful deity is often an alternative manifestation of a bodhisattva or other normally peaceful figure, making the representations of all human vices and atrocities. True to their name, in Tibetan art, wrathful deities are presented as fearsome, demonic beings adorned with human skulls and other bone ornaments. In Tibetan and Japanese Buddhism, Hayagriva is a wrathful manifestation of Avalokiteshvara. Like him, he is part of the Padma family. In Krya tantra he is the wrathful protector deity of the Padma family. He is revered and practiced in all traditions and schools of Tibetan Buddhism and appears in many forms. It is usually shown in red, you can recognize it easily by horse heads on top of his head. There are believed to be 108 forms of Hayagriva. His special ability is to cure diseases, especially skin diseases even as serious as leprosy, which is said to be caused by the Nāgas (water spirits with serpent bodies).
In Hinduism, one tradition identifies Hayagriva as a group of demons subdued by Vishnu, according to another tradition, Hayagriva was incarnation of Vishnu.

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June 26th, 2015

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