Thangka

(tib.: thangka) The Thangka is a Tibetan silk painting with embroidery, usually depicting portraits of Buddhas, deities, stories from the lives of saints and great masters, mandalas, ... It consists of a picture panel which is painted or embroidered, over which a textile is mounted, and then over which is laid a cover, usually silk. Thangkas are usually rectangular in shape. They vary in size, ranging from a little over a few square centimeters to several square meters. A large thangka often takes large team of artists months, even years, to make. Thangkas can be easily rolled up and transported.