Thangkas

Himalayan Trade sells Thangka Paintings that we hand pick in Nepal.  We have Mandala thangka paintings and thangka paintings of Green Tara and other deities.   Our store in Berkeley Springs has an entire room devoted in part to thangka paintings.

Thangka or Thangka painting is a unique type of Himalayan art in the Tibetan Buddhist tradition. The origin of Thangka lies in the countries of  Nepal, Tibet , India and Bhutan. Thangka is a Tibetan or Buddhist painting depicting various motifs and elements of both Hinduism and Buddhism. Most are painted on cotton canvas and mounted on a Tibetan silk scroll that can be hung from the wall. Thangka are used as wall decorator but for Tibetan and Buddhists it is always a object of religious importance. Thangka comes in huge variety of  styles and represents Buddha's and Hindu deities such as Life of Buddha, Wheel of life, Tara, Mandala. A Thangka is always more than a work of art. It is an object of devotion, and aid to spiritual practice and a source of blessing to those who practice by gazing upon it. Use of Thangka can help a mediator to learn and achieve the qualities of a particular deity. Thangka can bring blessing on the house hold and serves as a constant reminder of the Buddha's teachings of compassion.

All of our Thangka's (Thanka) are painted on traditional canvas and mounted for hanging on a silk background with a scroll at the top and a protective face covering that is usually tucked back behind the Thangka when it is displayed.