How Tibetan Art Shaped Newari Thangka: A Deep Dive into Artistic Traditions
Buddhist art is very much symbolic and full of history, as there is a strong history of connection between countries and cultures. The artistic influence of Tibetan art on the painting of the Newari Thangka is one of the most interesting examples of such cultural interweaving. The two regions have a rich history of Buddhism, and their art forms have changed differently. In this blog, have a closer look at how the Tibetan art has influenced the Newari Thangka as well, tracing its origin and also comparing how the two traditions have evolved.
The Origins of Buddhist Art
(Photo from First Art Musuem)
The history of Buddhist art can be traced back to the Buddha's lifetime, though art historians suggest that it emerged a few centuries after the Buddha's Great Parinirvana in the 6th century BCE. Evidence from Sutra texts like the Vinaya and Tantra, including the Manjusrimulakalpa, points to early depictions of the Buddha and spiritual figures. Buddha himself emphasized the importance of painting, as referenced in the Buddha Pratimalaksana Sutra, a text written likely after the 10th century CE. Such texts outlined how figures of deities were made, and this further reinforced the notion that visual art had much importance in the practice of Buddhism.
An intriguing story about the first Buddha image comes from Buddhist legend. Kings Bimbisara and Uddayana exchanged valuable gifts, and when Uddayana sent a priceless offering, Bimbisara decided to send a painted scroll of the Buddha. However, the artist found it impossible to capture the Buddha’s splendor and radiance. In response, the Buddha cast his shadow on cloth and instructed the artist to trace it, marking the first painted Buddha image during his lifetime. Similarly, another early depiction, known as the Rashmi-muni or “The Radiant Saint,” was created for Princess Muktalata, a figure who attained spiritual realization upon viewing a Buddha portrait. These stories underscore how deeply embedded the visual representation of Buddha was in early Buddhist culture.
History of Nepali Painting
(Photo From Nepal Academy of Fine Arts)
Tracing the history of Nepali Buddhist art before the Licchavi period (464 CE) is challenging due to the scarcity of documentary evidence. However, the Licchavi era (464-880 CE) is thought to be the golden age of Nepali art and especially sculpture. The Padmapani Bodhisattva of Srigha Vihara of 550 CE is considered as one of the most famous works of this period. Unfortunately, no paintings from this period have survived, and it is only from the Licchavi period onward that we have more concrete records of Nepali artistic development.
Buddhist art was introduced to Tibet through Nepal in the 7th century when King Srongtsan Gampo married the Nepali Princess Bhrikuti Devi. Historical records from Tibet note the presence of Newar artists in Tibet as early as the 7th century. Such exchanges were not only cultural but also very artistic. An example of this common heritage is the Jokhang Temple in Lhasa, constructed by Princess Bhrikut, and the Newar artists played a central role in the architectural and artistic evolution of Tibetan Buddhism.
Newar Paintings: The Fusion of Tradition and Innovation
{Kesaraja Chitrakar - Manjuvajra and Vajradhatishvari, 1409 The first known artist after Arniko (12th century) who brought developments in paubha painting with richer color tones and more exquisitely sketched deities. Reference: HUGO E. KREIJGER and Nepali times}
Pala (in Sanskrit) or paubha (in Newar), a painting style of Newar artists that is specific to the Indians, is rectangular-shaped and highly detailed. These paintings were traditionally executed on specially woven cotton cloth, often using gouache. One of the changes in material culture occurred in the second half of the 18th century, when artists in Newar started working on paper surfaces. The early Newar paintings mainly featured the godlike figures and those who served them, which were a part of Buddhist monastic life.
Since the 14th century, Newar paintings have started to assume a more ritualistic role, particularly with the emergence of the mandala, a religious geometric shape already symbolizing the universe. Mandalas in Newar art are not only applied as a ritual ceremony but also in meditation, especially in the tantric tradition of Buddhism. Although these mandalas were at times painted on the floor during religious rituals, they were also painted in monasteries, temples, and on personal shrines.
During the 14th to 16th centuries, artists of Newar began to create some of the best pieces of work, which was influenced by the Indian and Tibetan aesthetics. It stands as the especially significant amalgamation of styles, though the combination of local Newar influences with the Tibetan and Indian Buddhist iconography influences.
Read More about Paubha Painting: A Rare Art Form of Nepal That Is Different from Tibetan Art
The Tibetan Influence on Newar Thangka
The most significant influence of Tibetan art on Newar painting came in the form of the thangka, which was a Tibetan Buddhist painting on cloth, typically illustrating gods, religious personalities, and episodes in the Buddhist scriptures. The Newar artists, who had played a key role in the dissemination of Buddhist art to Tibet in the 14th and 15th centuries, started to incorporate Tibetan stylistic elements into their own works. As Tibetan thangka painting evolved in the 17th century, Newar painters started to adopt Tibetan conventions, such as the use of bright colors, detailed borders, and intricate depictions of deities.
Tibetan painters started to impose their style on Newar art in the mid-17th century when Tibetan Buddhism became even more prominent in Nepal. This revolution witnessed the replication of the Tibetan thangka styles by the Newar artists and this was the turning point in the production of the artistic works in Nepal. With the Tibetan styles concentrated in Tibet they reappeared in Nepal, and thus a blend was formed in artistic styles which are still present in Newar Thangka painting today.
One key example of this influence is the rhang-ka, a term used in Tibet to describe a framed painting, often depicting Buddhist deities. These paintings, which were highly regarded in Tibetan monasteries, began to appear in Nepal, especially in monasteries and temples that housed Buddhist relics and sacred objects. This fusion of Tibetan and Newar painting techniques resulted in a unique form of thangka that reflected both the spiritual depth and artistic creativity of both cultures.
The Legacy of Newar and Tibetan Artistic Fusion
(Photo From The Metropolitan Museum of Art)
The image dates to the late 14th to early 15th century, during the early Malla period.
The cultural exchange between Tibet and Nepal, particularly during the Malla period (12th - 17th centuries), had influenced the Newar art development immensely. Although it is known that the Malla period was the prime of Newar painting, the Tibetan influences produced a unique tradition of art. However, the era was also marked by a progressive deterioration of the quality of the work at the end of the 17th and 18th centuries, when Newar paintings were simpler than those of the previous centuries.
This decline did not erase the lasting impact of Tibetan influence. In the present day, Newar Thangka still uses Tibetan styles and techniques and produces a unique blend of Buddhist art, which still leaves a strong impact on the viewers and practitioners. Although it is not so easy to define the precise cultural exchanges and artistic traditions between Tibet and Nepal, one fact remains that the combination of Tibetan and Newar art is an outstanding example of cross-cultural impact that also exists in the world of arts.
The Role of Newar Artisans in Tibetan Buddhism
(Photo From Lumbini Buddhist University)
Newar Art of Licchavi Dynasty in Chinese Cave Paintings of Dunhuang: Newar artists contributed their artistic skills in these Buddhist caves, which mostly are determined with their styles and connection to Tibetan rulers. The influence of Newar artists feature in Dunhuang could be broadly categorized in two period of time – Middle Tang period when Tibetan occupation Dunhuang in 781-848 CE and at the time of Yuan dynasty Mongol in 1227-1368 CE.
The Tibetan Buddhism is much more than producing beautiful paintings and sculptures under the influence of Newar artisans. Although their artistic ability is much acclaimed, the Newar artists had revolutionary cultural and spiritual roles in the dissemination of the Buddhist teachings and practice in the Himalayas. From as early as the 7th century, the Kathmandu Valley artistes of Newar were much in demand in Tibet, not only as artisans but also as transmitters of the artistic material, which reflected Buddhist philosophy. Their art formed the foundation of the future Tibetan thangka painting, which is both decorative and religious in nature.
In Tibetan monasteries, Newar painters and artisans did far more than copy images, they taught the principles of sacred art. Tibetan masters under the guidance of Newar masters taught the monks and the apprentices how to create an icon in a precise way so that every single figure, whether it is Buddha or some intricate mandalas, could follow strict spiritual rules. It was not just a question of aesthetics, but rather a question of delivering the Buddhist teachings in terms of visual representations that contribute to the meditation, ritual and contemplation.
For many Tibetan practitioners, the act of creating or studying sacred images was inseparable from spiritual practice. Newar artists helped embed this understanding within Tibetan culture, where thangkas became living tools for meditation, teaching, and ritual observance, much more than decorative paintings. Newar artisans had spiritual guidance in this sense, and their influence permeated Tibetan art and practice of Buddhism over centuries.
The Significance of Newari Thangka in the present days
Newari Thangka, which is more commonly referred to by locals as paubha, is an active and spiritually significant form of art in the modern world that still represents a long-standing ancient tradition and is still under continuous development. The paintings are still in constant use in Buddhist rituals, occasions, and individual meditation. A Thangka is not only the piece of art since it is a tool of worship a visual representation that allows practitioners to concentrate on certain deities and the teachings.
The traditional exhibits of Thangka and paubha are still a part of the celebrations like the Buddha Jayanti (the anniversary of the birth of the Buddha) and Gunla (sacred month of observance in the Newar Buddhism). These images are worshipped and blessed during festivals and rites and serve as the objects of the devotion and communal worship.
Contemporary Newar artists nowadays respect this tradition and also invent new meanings thereof. Most of the painters, who have been equipped with centuries old methods, are including the new visual effects and are exploring the colors and forms to address both the contemporary practitioners and the art lovers. Other artists incorporate the traditional content with the modern materials and styles, which allow preserving the relevance and accessibility of the art form without losing its sacred essence.
Although the world has become aware of Tibetan and Himalayan art in museums and meditation centers around the world, Thangka has a distinct identity with Newari Thangka being one of them. It is at the crossroads of the religious devotion, the artistic art and the cultural legacy. These paintings, to most worshipers, art collectors and spiritual seekers are still a passage between the human and the divine, holding on to a tradition of Buddhist visual ancestry that cuts across time.
Conclusion
Tibetan and Newar cultures have a rich history of cultural interchange, exemplified by the merging of both styles of artwork in the Thangka painting. The Newar artisans were the key players in the development of Tibetan Buddhist art, not only in the technical prowess but also in fusing spiritual doctrines into their art. Their work on Tibetan monasteries and rituals assisted in making Thangka painting an indispensable instrument of meditation, ritual, and worship, so it became a spiritual guide and a decorative art.
Today, the Newari Thangka is still a source of connection between the spiritual and the aesthetic, as it is still relevant in the modern Buddhist rituals and celebrations. Although modern artists use new methods and designs, the spirit of this ancient tradition is still there and saves the cultural heritage of Nepal and Tibet. It is not only a visual link to the divine but also a testament to the immortality of cultural artistic fusion and still able to inspire and guide spiritual seekers in the world.
