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Thangka painting

East & Central Asia tradition · 5 examples · indicative market tier: $50k–1M (high collector)

A thangka painting (Nepali pronunciation: [ˈt̪ʰaŋka]; Tibetan: ཐང་ཀ་; Nepal Bhasa: पौभा) is a Tibetan Buddhist painting on cotton, silk appliqué, usually depicting a Buddhist deity, scene, or mandala. Thangkas are traditionally kept unframed and rolled up when not on display, mounted on a textile backing somewhat in the style of Chinese scroll paintings, with a further silk cover on the front. So treated, thangkas can last a long time, but because of their delicate nature, they have to be kept in dry places where moisture will not affect the quality of the silk. Wikipedia →

Types & examples

Thangka with the Seventh Bodhisattva
Thangka with the Seventh Bodhisattva, 1368–1424
Cleveland Museum of Art
Green Tara
Green Tara, c. 1260s, mounted 2020
Cleveland Museum of Art
Achala, King of the Wrathful Ones
Achala, King of the Wrathful Ones, early 1200s
Cleveland Museum of Art
Guardian Kings:  Dhrtarastra and Virupaksa
Guardian Kings: Dhrtarastra and Virupaksa, 1st half of 1300s
Cleveland Museum of Art
Painted Banner (Thangka) with the Medicine Buddha (Bhaishajyaguru)
Painted Banner (Thangka) with the Medicine Buddha (Bhaishajyaguru), 14th century
Art Institute of Chicago

Where to buy

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Each link opens a live, image-rich search for this craft on that marketplace. Listings rotate constantly; authenticate significant pieces independently — attribution quality varies widely outside museum collections.