Timeline of Art History

Tibetan Buddhist Art

Most artists were anonymous and rarely signed their works, although names have survived in texts, in murals on monastery walls, and on some thankas and bronzes.
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Portrait of a Lama, Possibly Dromton, Distemper on cloth, Tibet
Tibet
last quarter 11th century
Portrait of the Indian Monk Atisha, Distemper and gold on cloth, Tibet
Tibet
early to mid-12th century
Portrait of The Great Teacher Marpa, Bronze inlaid with copper and silver; gold plugs, Tibet
Tibet
17th century
Buddha Amoghasiddhi with Eight Bodhisattvas, Distemper on cloth, Central Tibet
Central Tibet
ca. 1200–50
Mahasiddha Jnanatapa, Distemper on cloth, Eastern Tibet, Kham, Riwoche monastery
Eastern Tibet, Kham, Riwoche monastery
ca. 1350
Lineage Portrait of an Abbot, Distemper on cloth, Central Tibet
Central Tibet
ca. 1350
An Arhat, a Buddhist Saint, Stone with color, Tibet
Tibet
14th century
Mandala of Jnanadakini, Distemper on cloth, Tibet
Tibet
late 14th century
Illuminated Pages from a Dispersed DharanI Manuscript, Inks and color on paper, Tibet
Tibet
14th–15th century
Mahakala Panjaranatha (Protector of the Tent) 

, Steatite with color and gilding, Tibet
Tibet
late 14th–early 15th century
Vajra Flaying Knife, Steel with gold and silver inlays, Eastern Tibet, Derge
Eastern Tibet, Derge
ca. 15th century
Ritual Censer, Iron inlaid with gold, Tibet
Tibet
15th–16th century
Roundel with Karma Lineage, Ivory, Tibet
Tibet
16th century
Yamantaka, Destroyer of the God of Death, Distemper on cloth, Tibet
Tibet
early 18th century
Cabinet for Ritual Utensils, Lacquer and gilding on wood, iron, Tibet
Tibet
18th century

Buddhism was introduced to Tibet by the seventh century and was proclaimed the state religion by the end of the eighth century. Although Buddhist influence waned during persecutions between 838 and 942, the religion saw a revival beginning in the late tenth century. It rapidly became dominant, inaugurating what is known as the “later diffusion of the Buddhist faith.” During the first few hundred years of this renewed interest, many monks from Tibet traveled abroad to India (), the homeland of Buddhism, to study the religion, and Indian scholars were invited to Tibet to lecture and give teachings (). Although Tibet’s vast geographic area and its many adjacent neighbors—India and Kashmir, Nepal, the northern regions of Burma (Myanmar), China, and Central Asia (Khotan)—are reflected in the rich stylistic diversity of Tibetan Buddhist art, during the late eleventh and early twelfth centuries, Pala India became the main source of artistic influence. In the thirteenth century and thereafter, Nepalese artists were also commissioned to paint tangkas and make sculptures for Tibetan patrons. By the fourteenth century, stylistic influences from Nepal and China became dominant, and in the fifteenth century these fused into a truly Tibetan synthesis.

Although numerous monks were artists, there were also lay artists who traveled from monastery to monastery and, with a few exceptions, it is difficult to assign a particular style to a monastery or sect. Most artists were anonymous and rarely signed their works, although names have survived in texts, in murals on monastery walls, and on some tangkas and bronzes. In addition to Tibetan artists, the names of Indian, Nepalese, Central Asian, and Chinese artists were recorded.

Many sculptures and paintings were made as aids for Buddhist meditation. The physical image became a base to support or encourage the presence of the divinity portrayed in the mind of the worshipper. Images were also commissioned for any number of reasons, including celebrating a birth, commemorating a death, and encouraging wealth, good health, or longevity. Buddhists believe that commissioning an image brings merit for the donor as well as to all conscious beings. Images in temples and in household shrines also remind laypeople that they too can achieve enlightenment.


Contributors

Kathryn Selig Brown
Independent Scholar

October 2003


Further Reading

Heller, Amy. Tibetan Art. Milan: Editoriale Jaca Book SpA, 1999.

Reynolds, Valrae, et al. From the Sacred Realm: Treasures of Tibetan Art from the Newark Museum. Munich: Prestel Verlag, 1999.


Citation

View Citations

Brown, Kathryn Selig. “Tibetan Buddhist Art.” In Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History. New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2000–. http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/tibu/hd_tibu.htm (October 2003)