Tibetan Thangka (Gannan Tibetan Thangka)

Name of China's national intangible cultural heritage: Tibetan Thangka (Gannan Tibetan Thangka)

Applicant: Xiahe County, Gansu Province

Project No.: 313

Project No.: Ⅶ - 14

Time of publication: 2008 (second batch)

Category: traditional art

Region: Gansu Province

Type: Extension Project

Applicant: Xiahe County, Gansu Province

Protection unit: Labrang mani treasure culture and Art Co., Ltd. of Xiahe County

Introduction to Tibetan Thangka (Gannan Tibetan Thangka)

Applicant: Xiahe County, Gansu Province

Gannan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture is one of the ten Tibetan autonomous prefectures in China, located in the southwest of Gansu Province. The history of Gannan Tibetan Thangka can be traced back to the early Tubo Dynasty. In the 7th century, the Tubo dynasty built Potala Palace and other large palaces, which promoted the development of Tibetan painting art. In this situation, the Tibetan Thangka came into being.

Tibetan thangkas are mostly drawn on pure cotton cloth, some on sheepskin, some on silk embroidery and silk stitching, and some on printed monochrome thangkas. The core of the painting and mounting are inseparable from cotton, hemp, silk and silk. Gannan Tibetan Thangka paintings vary in size, with the large ones being tens of square meters and the small ones less than 0.1 square meters. Most of the paintings are made of minerals, gold and silver.

Gannan Tibetan Thangka has unique composition, and the picture is not limited by the real time and space. Even in a very small picture, it has a vast territory, with heaven on the top, human on the middle and earth on the bottom. Gannan Tibetan Thangka can also use the deformed rocks, auspicious clouds, flowers and other patterns to naturally separate the complex plot content, forming an independent and coherent picture of legendary stories, which is novel, unique, vivid and interesting.

Gannan Tibetan Thangka has distinctive national characteristics and strong religious color, which shows high reference value in the study of Tibetan folk custom and religious art.