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The Four Harmonious Brothers Reach The Fruit Of The Tree

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Name: The Four Harmonious Brothers Reach The Fruit Of The Tree
Brand: Exotic India
SKU: TS47
Price: 225.00 USD
Availability: InStock

$225

The four brothers are in harmony as they traverse the Himalayan foothills in this gorgeously coloured thangka. Ample verdure coats the numerous hills dotting the landscape. Deep blue waters, abound with life and motion, punctuate the same. Some of the taller hills are covered with snow, their cloud-kissed peaks painted with a skill endemic to Tibetan and Nepalese thangka painters. In the centre are the four brothers, each arranged on top of the other in terms of seniority (partridge over the rabbit, over the monkey, over the elephant). A recurring motif in Buddhist-inspired visual arts, this arrangement conveys the importance in Buddhist tradition of honouring age above nobility or greatness or learning.

It all started when the brothers fell out with each other, and in a state of mutual discord turned to discussing the age of the banyan tree (which has been painted ahead of the brothers in the direction they are taking). While the elephant remembers it as a bush from his childhood, the monkey remembers it as a mere shrub and the rabbit as a leafless sapling. However, it is the partridge that had carried its very seed in his body and planted it there, so he is the one sits above the rest of his brothers. This is the Tittira Jataka parable that the Buddha had narrated to teach his disciples that age comes above everything else. In fact, it is this arrangement that enables the partridge to reach for the fruit of the banyan tree to share with his brothers.

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Item Code:	TS47
Specifications:	Tibetan Thangka Painting
Dimensions	Size of Painted Surface 13 inch X 16.5 inch Size with Brocade 23.5 inch X 37 inch

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Unveiling the Divine Art: Journey into the Making of Thangkas

A Thangka is a traditional Tibetan Buddhist painting that usually depicts a Buddhist Deity (Buddha or Bodhisattva), a scene, or a mandala. These paintings are considered important paraphernalia in Buddhist rituals. They are used to teach the life of the Buddha, various lamas, and Bodhisattvas to the monastic students, and are also useful in visualizing the deity while meditating. One of the most important subjects of thangkas is the Bhavacakra (the wheel of life) which depicts the Art of Enlightenment. It is believed that Thangka paintings were developed over the centuries from the murals, of which only a few can be seen in the Ajanta caves in India and the Mogao caves in Gansu Province, Tibet. Thangkas are painted on cotton or silk applique and are usually small in size. The artist of these paintings is highly trained and has a proper understanding of Buddhist philosophy, knowledge, and background to create a realistic and bona fide painting.

The process of making a thangka begins with stitching a loosely woven cotton fabric onto a wooden frame. Traditionally, the canvas was prepared by coating it with gesso, chalk, and base pigment.

After this, the outline of the form of the deity is sketched with a pencil or charcoal onto the canvas using iconographic grids. The drawing process is followed in accordance with strict guidelines laid out in Buddhist scriptures. The systematic grid helps the artist to make a geometrical and professional painting. When the drawing of the figures is finalized and adjusted, it is then outlined with black ink.

Earlier, a special paint of different colors was made by mixing powdered forms of organic (vegetable) and mineral pigments in a water-soluble adhesive. Nowadays, artists use acrylic paints instead. The colors are now applied to the sketch using the wet and dry brush techniques. One of the characteristic features of a thangka is the use of vibrant colors such as red, blue, black, green, yellow, etc.

In the final step, pure gold is coated over some parts of the thangka to increase its beauty. Due to this beautification, thangkas are much more expensive and also stand out from other ordinary paintings.

Thangka paintings are generally kept unrolled when not on display on the wall. They also come with a frame, a silken cover in front, and a textile backing to protect the painting from getting damaged. Because Thangkas are delicate in nature, they are recommended to be kept in places with no excess moisture and where there is not much exposure to sunlight. This makes them last a long time without their colors fading away. Painting a thangka is an elaborate and complex process and requires excellent skills. A skilled artist can take up to 6 months to complete a detailed thangka painting. In earlier times, thangka painters were lamas that spent many years on Buddhist studies before they painted.

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