Superfine Two-Armed Mahakala -Tibetan Buddhist Thangka Without Brocade

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$995

Mahakala is a deity manifestation of Shiva in Hinduism. He is a protector deity known across Hindu and Buddhist traditions. He is also the Wisdom Protector in Tibetan Buddhism. Tradition depicts him as looking perpetually wrathful, but let it not be a cause of confusion to label Mahakala as harmful or evil. This is rooted in the idea that a person's Awakened Compassion is essential to being Mahakala. Mahakala has different variations, each with its own set of meanings.

This thangka depicts the Mahakala with two arms. This variation of the Mahakala is called the Bernakchen or Black Coat, although his skin in the thangka is depicted in dark red. He is the main protector of the Karma Kagyu school. True to tradition, the deity is portrayed with a rounded body. In proportion to his body, his legs appear short (although it is also thick and strong-looking). The flaming hair is also highlighted with a halo-like backdrop of flames around his head. He also wears a crown of five skulls which represent the transmutation of five negative afflictions of human nature into virtues and necklace made with skulls. His face shows wrath, starting from the widely opened (three) eyes which represents his ability to see past, present, and future. His eyebrows and moustache appear to be aflame and it represents his power and energy to consume anxious states of mind. His skin is red to symbolize his fiery nature. His right-hand holds a sword that is used to cut out negative emotions such as anger, hatred, or ignorance. His left-hand holds the tail of a tiger on his waist which symbolizes purification of desire. Mahakala can also be seen standing on a corpse of a human (along with a string of human heads on his neck) that symbolizes the death of negativity.

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Item Code:	TZ25
Specifications:	Tibetan Thangka Painting
Dimensions	Size - 12.5 inch X 16.5 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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