Tibet: Densatil Monastery Style Sculpture
Densatil MasterworksSubjects, Topics & Types:
- Description (below)
- Iconography
- Chronology
- Sculpture Main Page
- Murals & Temples in Tibet Outline
- Confusions
- Others...
There are three types of Densatil sculpture:
- Tashi Gomang Stupa & Sculpture (Densatil Monastery)
- Other Densatil Sculpture (Densatil Monastery)
- Densatil-like Sculpture (Branch & Other Monasteries)
Densatil Monastery, founded by Pagmodrubpa Dorje Gyalpo, built the eight Tashi Gomang Stupas between the 1270s and the 1430s. That is a one hundred and sixty year (160) spread of time. Drigung Monastery was founded in 1179 and completed its first stupa in 1208. If both monasteries continued to commission works in a similar style and consistency as the Tashi Gomang stupas of Drigung and Densatil then it is not unreasonable to believe that sculpture for stupas, shrines, chapels and branch monasteries was being created for an approximate three hundred year period ending around 1500. (See Densatil Monastery Chronology).
Jeff Watt 4-2014 [updated 5-2017]
Articles:
Mandala of Mandalas: The Iconography of a Stupa of Many Auspicious Doors for Phag Mo Gru Pa by Christian Luczanits. Tibetan Art and Architecture in Context. PIATS 2006. Published 2010.
The Commemorative Stupas of the Lang/Pakmodrupa Dynasty, Densatil Monastery by Jean-Luc Estournel.
About the 18 stupas and other treasures once at the Densatil monastery by Jean-Luc Estournel (September 29, 2020. www.asianart.com).
Website: Defining the Style of a Group of 13th Century Tibetan Gilt Copper Statues by David Weldon. (Published September 13, 2018).
Website: Research Project on the Sculptural Art of Densatil. (See the article by Olaf Czaja, The Sculptural Art of Densatil, Oriental Art, Vol.50. No.4. 2006).
Exhibition: Golden Visions of Densatil, A Tibetan Buddhist Monastery, Asia Society, New York City.
Publications: Golden Visions of Densatil, A Tibetan Buddhist Monastery, edited by Olaf Czaja and Adriana Proser.
