including Prajnaparamita, were copied
in Kathmandu Valley for these monasteries.
Astasahas rika Prajnaparamita for example,
was copied in Patan in the year 999 A.D.,
during the reign of Narendra Dev and Udaya
Deva, for the Sa-Shakya monastery in Tibet.
For the Nor monastery in Tibet, two copies
were made in Nepal-one of Astasahasrika
Prajnaparamita in 1069 A.D. and the other
of Kavyadarsha in 1111 A.D. The influence
of Nepalese art extended till Tibet and
even beyond in China in regular order
during the thirteenth century. Nepalese
artisans were dispatched to the courts
of Chinese emperors at their request to
perform their workmanship and impart expert
knowledge. The exemplary contribution
made by the artisans of Nepal, specially
by the Nepalese innovator and architect
Balbahu, known by his popular name "Arniko" bear testimony to this fact even today.
After the introduction of paper, palm
leaf became less popular; however, it
continued to be used until the eighteenth
century. Paper manuscripts imitated the
oblong shape but were wider than the palm
leaves.
From the fifteenth century onwards,
brighter colours gradually began to appear
in Nepalese.Thanka / Thangka. Because
of the growing importance of the Tantric
cult, various aspects of Shiva and Shakti
were painted in conventional poses. Mahakala,
Manjushri, Lokeshwara and other deities
were equally popular and so were also
frequently represented in Thanka / Thangka
paintings of later dates. As Tantrism
embodies the ideas of esoteric power,
magic forces, and a great variety of symbols,
strong emphasis is laid on the female
element and sexuality in the paintings
of that period.
Religious paintings worshipped as icons
are known as Paubha in Newari and Thanka
/ Thangka in Tibetan. The origin of Paubha
or Thanka / Thangka paintings may be attributed
to the Nepalese artists responsible for
creating a number of special metal works
and wall- paintings as well as illuminated
manuscripts in Tibet. Realizing the great
demand for religious icons in Tibet, these
artists, along with monks and traders,
took with them from Nepal not only metal
sculptures but also a number of Buddhist
manuscripts. To better fulfil the ever
- increasing demand Nepalese artists initiated
a new type of religious painting on cloth
that could be easily rolled up and carried
along with them. This type of painting
became very popular both in Nepal and
Tibet and so a new school of Thanka /
Thangka painting evolved as early as the
ninth or tenth century and has remained
popular to this day. One of the earliest
specimens of Nepalese Thanka / Thangka
painting dates from the thirteenth /fourteenth
century and shows Amitabha surrounded
by Bodhisattva. Another Nepalese Thanka
/ Thangka with three dates in the inscription
(the last one corresponding to 1369 A.D.),
is one of the earliest known Thanka /
Thangka with inscriptions. The "Mandalaof
Vishnu " dated 1420 A.D., is another
fine example of the painting of this period.
Early Nepalese Thangkas are simple in
design and composition. The main deity,
a large figure, occupies the central position
while surrounded by smaller figures of
lesser divinities.
Thanka / Thangka painting is one of the
major science out the five major and five
minor fields of knowledge. It's origin
can be traced all the way back to the
time of Lord Buddha. The main themes of
Thanka / Thangka paintings are religious.
During the reign of Dharma King Trisong,
Duetsen the Tibetan masters refined there
already well developed arts through research
and studies of different country's tradition.
Thanka painting's lining and measurement,
costumes, implementations and ornaments
are all based on Indian style. The drawing
of figures are based on Nepalese style
and the background sceneries are based
on Chinese style. Thus, the Thanka / Thangka
paintings became a unique and distinctive
art.
Thanka / Thangka have developed in the
northern Himalayan regions among the Lamas.
Besides Lamas, Gurung and Tamang communities
are also producing Tankas, which provide
substantial employment opportunities for
many people in the hills. Newari Thankas
(Also known as Paubha) has been the hidden
art work in Kathmandu valley from 13th
century. We have preserved this art and
are exclusively creating this with some
particular painter family who have inherited
their art from their forefathers.Some
of the artistic religious and historical
paintings are also done by the Newars
of Kathmandu Valley.
