Sacred Art: Introduction
Art provides us with a medium through
which to explore culture. In Tibet, art and Buddhism are inextricably
linked. Tibetan thangkas provide an excellent opportunity to introduce
students to the tenets of Tibetan Buddhism or for students to apply their
knowledge of Buddhism through this visual art form.
Sacred Art: Thangka
Lesson
I. Introduction
Show students a color transparency or
projected image of a Tibetan thangka of White Tara.
Ask them to discuss what they see and
what their observations might represent.
II. Terminology
Once they have explored the various aspects
of the image, introduce them to key terminology related to Tibetan Buddhist
art.
a. Thangka (pronounced tanka)—A
guide for contemplative experience, generally in the form of a scroll painting,
although thangkas can be woven, block printed, or embroidered.
Dharmapala Thangka Centre
has great examples of thangkas
http://www.bremen.de/info/nepal/Table1.htm
b. Mudra—iconographic hand gestures
that represent an action such as teaching, dispelling fear, the act of
enlightenment.
Again, Dharmapala Thangka
Centre has great mudra images
http://www.bremen.de/info/nepal/Icono/Mudras/Mudras.htm
c. Bodhisattva—a Buddhist who makes
a commitment to not attain Nirvana until all sentient beings are also enlightened
d. Three Jewels—three foundations
of Buddhism—Buddha, Dharma, Sangha
e. Lotus—a flower closely associated
with Buddhism symbolizing wisdom—A lotus rises from murky water to bloom
just a wisdom emerges from ignorance
f. Auspicious signs--Eight symbols
of Buddhism, which are each said to represent a part of the Buddha's body;
they are often included in Tibetan thangkas.
Great explanations and images
of these signs can be found on these sites.
http://www.uwec.edu/academic/curric/greidebe/BMRB/culture/student.work/lehtisk/
http://www.manjushri.org.uk/symbols.htm
g. Nimbus/aureole—a circle or circles
placed around the head and body of Buddhist deities
h. Sacred image vs. art--In Tibetan
Buddhism, sacred art, such as thangkas, is consecrated in one of three
rituals. Once consecrated they are called "ten," which translates
to "support." Art such as The Mona Lisa is not consecrated, nor is
it used in conjunction with religious life.
An interesting discussion could result
from discussing the way secular objects become sacred. Examples such
as the American flag to Americans or Chairman Mao to the Chinese might
get students thinking about others. In addition, discussing the way
an object loses its sacredness would also be interesting.
III. Small Group Assignment
Organize students into groups and give
each group a color reproduction of a Tibetan thangka. Have them apply
the above terms to their thangkas. After sufficient time has passed,
ask students to present their analyses. Then distribute a short
explanation of the deity pictured so students can test their analyses.
The Dharmapala Thangka Centre
has a gallery of 254 color thangkas.
http://www.bremen.de/info/nepal/
Another great galler thangkas
can be found at:
http://www.baikal.eastsib.ru/aroundbaikal/dudko/dudko_gallery_eng.html
IV. Writing Assignment
For homework, have students brainstorm
a list of sacred images in society and in their own lives. Have them
choose one object on their list and compare it to the thangka they examined
in class in a short essay.
V. Lesson Extension
To extend the lesson, photocopy the line
drawings (pages 150-171) of thangka images from the book Tibetan Thangka
Paintings: Methods and Materials by David and Janice Jackson and allow
them time to make a clip art thangka painting, which they could color in
if time permitted.
Thangka Resources
Tibetan Thangka Paintings: Methods
and Materials, David and Janice Jackson
From the Sacred Realm: Treasures of
Tibetan Art from the Newark Museum, ed. Valrae Reynolds
The Encyclopedia of Tibetan Symbols
and Motifs, Robert Beer. Shambala:
Boston, 1999.
"Themes of Tibetan Sacred Art," Glen H.
Miller and Andy Weber available through the Tibetan Education Network at
Global Source
"The Nature of Tibetan Sacred Art," Glen
H. Miller and Andy Weber available through the Tibetan Education Network
at Global Source
http://www.tibetart.com
http://iris.lib.virginia.edu/tibet/
(A great site for all things Tibetan, including cool interactive
maps of Tibet)
http://www.lib.umich.edu/area/sasia/Tibet/Tibetan_collection_web/ts_resources.htm
(A good site with lots of links)
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