The town of Gyantse is famous for the three major sites of the Fortress, Palkor Chode Monastery and the Kumbum. Built in the 15th century, all three sites are a major treasure house of Tibetan artistic culture. The images belong to the Sarah Richardson Photographic Archive.
Gonkar Chode Monastery is the birth place for one of the sub traditions of the Sakya School of Tibetan Buddhism but it is remembered more for being the place where the Khyen-ri Style of Tibetan painting originated with Khyentse Chenmo. The monastery is an approximately two hour drive West of the town of Lhasa. The images belong to the Sarah Richardson Photographic Archive.
Drolma Lhakang is one of the oldest Temples in the Lhasa area of Central Tibet, located just to the West of the town. It is most commonly associated with Jowo Atisha in the 11th century. Take special note of the large stone lions at the base of the very tall standing bodhisattva figures. The images belong to the Sarah Richardson Photographic Archive.
The Repeated Background Figures Page has been updated. Three general subject types are found when looking at Repeated Figure Compositions. These three types also correspond to an early, middle and late chronology in the development of Tibetan paintings. 1) Early paintings sometimes depict rows of what appear to be identical Buddhas (along with other figures in the lower registers). The subject of these paintings are drawn from the Charya and Yoga Tantras where a particular mandala will contain the 1000 Buddhas of the Eon. Although the imagery of the figures appears repeated, actually each of the Buddhas has a unique name and identity. Paintings such as those lost popularity after the 15th century. 2) Following after that time the subject of only painting the 1000 Buddhas as secondary figures in sets of five paintings became more popular. Again, as before, each of these Buddhas has a unique name and identity. 3) After approximatley the 17th century it became far more popular to create paintings with repeated identical secondary figures that all have the same appearance, name and identity.
Shalu Monastery is one of the earliest Tibetan monasteries (11th century) and one of the most important for the study of early Tibetan Art History. The monastery is located between the towns of Shigatse and Gyantse, but closer to Shigatse. The images belong to the Sarah Richardson Photographic Archive.
Images of Mindrolling Monastery have been added. The images belong to the Sarah Richardson Photographic Archive. Mindrolling, in central Tibet, was constructed in the 17th century and quickly became one of the most important Nyingma centers in all of Tibet.
Images of Nyening Monastery have been added. The images belong to the Sarah Richardson Photographic Archive. Nyening, located a short distance South of Gyantse Town, is counted as one of the very early monasteries of Tibet. It is located on an important trade route that connects the Gyantse Valley to Nepal and India in the South.
Images of Lhasa, Central Tibet, have been added. The images belong to the Sarah Richardson Photographic Archive. At this time the images are only catalogued as 'Lhasa' without having been divided into their individual Lhasa locations.
Additional images have been added to the Art Depicted in Art Paintings Page. Look carefully to find the specific art in art image in this Milarepa Life Story painting.
Images of Ngari, West Tibet are primarily architectural and show the locations of some of the more common towns, temples and cave complexes. The images belong to the Sarah Richardson Photographic Archive. At this time the images of West Tibet from various sources are not fully developed or organized on the HAR website. Cataloguing of the images is forthcoming.
Images of Lhakang Chenmo Monastery, along with architectural elements and mural paintings, have been added to the HAR site courtesy of the Sarah Richardson Photographic Archive. Lhakang Chenmo Monastery, located in Tsang, was the largest building in Tibet prior to the construction of the Potala Palace in Lhasa. It is the principal monastic seat of the Sakya tradition of Tibetan Buddhism and continues to this day as a thriving academic center. Sakya Town is also the hereditary home of the Khon family, the spiritual leaders of the Sakya Tradition. The monastery itself is contained within giant fortress like walls. Inside the complex stands the main temple along with many other buildings serving different functions.
Images of Samye Monastery have been added to the site courtesy of the Sarah Richardson Photographic Archive. Samye Monastery, located in central Tibet, is regarded as the first Buddhist monastery to be built in Tibet. From approximately the time of Sakya Pandita (1182-1251) the monastery has been under the administration of the Sakya Tradition of Tibetan Buddhism.
Diagrammatic Art is art, primarily paintings and murals, intended to convey large amounts of highly structured and codified information to the viewer. The principal topics of Diagrammatic art are:
1. Mandalas
2. Charts, Astrological
3. Charts, Medical
4. Charts, Body Mandala
5. Charts, Yantra
6. Hands & Footprints
7. Refuge Field
8. Wheel of Life
9. Cityscape
10. Offering Paintings
11. Didactic, Miscellaneous
One of the most interesting diagrammatic works in the didactic category is a painted illustration of the Bon teachings explaining Dzogchen philosophy and training.
Images of Tsurphu Monastery have been added to the site courtesy of the Sarah Richardson Photographic Archive. Tsurphu Monastery, located in central Tibet, is the principal monastery of the Gyalwa Karmapa, the head Lama of the Karma Kamtsang Tradition of Tibetan Buddhism (also known as the Karma Kagyu).
Gyajin Pehar is one of the Five forms of Gyalpo Pehar. He represents the mind aspect and is typically depicted as blue in colur and riding an elephant. From among the group of five forms the Activity Pehar is the form most commonly found portrayed as the central figure in paintings and commonly found as a sculpture. Gyajin is the only other form to be depicted as the center of the group. Sometimes sets of five compositions are painted - one composition for each of the five Pehar forms.
The Five Gyalpo Pehar (Kings) of the Terma (Treasure) Lineage of the Nyingma tradition of Tibetan Buddhism are worldly protector deities. Although only a single deity, Pehar has five forms representing body, speech, mind, quality and activity. Each of the five has a different appearance. The most common form to appear in art is Activity Pehar with three faces, six arms, white in colour and riding a lion.
Gods & Deities are a common feature of Tantric Buddhism. What are they exactly? Who are they and where do they come from? This is a big question in Tibetan Buddhism and subsequently it is important to understand. Deities make up a large percentage of the iconography in painting, sculpture and more importantly meditation practice. Initially the most important thing to learn is that the terms 'god' and 'deity' are used interchangeably with no real intended difference in meaning. (This page on Gods & Deities is a work in progress).
There are many different types and styles of paintings. A noticeable feature of Himalayan art are the various back ground colours that can be found. There are Four Types of Ground Colour. The standard and most common type is the multi-coloured.
There are three further types of ground colour, black, gold and red, in this order, according to the time when each began to be used. The multi or variously coloured paintings are by far the more common in the Himalayan and Tibetan cultural regions. The other three colours are used to invoke mood and emotion. Black is for caution, fear and protection. Gold is for wealth, wonder and opulence. Red is for alarm, power, and resolve.
These images depict known sculpture appearing in paintings such as the Shakyamuni Buddha sculpture in the Jokhang Temple in Lhasa, Tibet, and the famous Sandalwood Shakyamuni Buddha in Beijing, China. The whereabouts of the Sandalwood Buddha are not currently known. Other famous sculpture are the Pagpa of Kyirong and the Three Lords of Ngari.
Torma (Tibetan: tor ma. Sanskrit: ba lim ta): torma are cone shaped ritual food offerings, generally made from flour dough, sculpted into a variety of shapes and sizes, coloured and then adorned with flat circular 'buttons' made from butter.
Have a look at the process and finished product of this unique ritual art form practiced by Bon religious followers of Tibet and the Himalayan regions. "Preparing tormas for the end-of-year Phurpa rites, at Triten Norbutse Bon Monastery, Kathmandu."
Purba Drugse Chempa is one of the principal meditational deities of the Yungdrung Bon Religion. The standard form has three faces and six hands, wrathful in appearance, embracing a consort, and the lower body in the shape of a dagger-like peg.
