Compassionate Sitatara Observes Human Suffering from The Sky

$225
Item Code: TL96
Specifications:
Tibetan Thangka Painting
Dimensions Size of Painted Surface 14.5" X 20.5"
Size with Brocade 24.5" X 35.0"
Handmade
Handmade
Free delivery
Free delivery
Fully insured
Fully insured
100% Made in India
100% Made in India
Fair trade
Fair trade
Sitatara or White Tara is considered to be a manifestation of Avalokiteshvara. Her complexion is white which is the color of purity and therefore she symbolizes immaculacy, and, because of her association with Avalokiteshvara, compassion as well. Goddess Tara has many epithets and names. A general meaning of Tara is star twinkles in the sky, here the Goddess is shown as if she is looking down on earth from the sky to observe the sufferings of human beings in order to protect and bless them. She looks hovering in the sky. Thus we may say that the artist has shown her like a star who is observing human sufferings from the sky.

White Tara is popularly worshipped in Tibet, Mongolia, Nepal and many other countries. She grants long life to her devotees. Moreover she helps practitioner overcome obstacles, particularly impediments to the practice of religion. She too has the power to grant wishes and to protect devotees from danger and distress. She is said to look after the good beings. She has seven eyes – the normal ones, one vertical eye on her forehead, and one in the palm of each hand and sole of each foot. Just as with Avalokiteshvara's thousand eyes, these symbolize the capacity to see all those in need in all four corners of earth. In Nepal, Buddhists called her Sapta-Lochani Tara or Seven-Eyed Tara with reverence.

The sweet faced Sitatara is gracefully seated in vajraparyankasana on lotuses with leaves. Her right hand is in varamudra the gesture of offering material and spiritual gifts. Her left hand, holding the stem of lotus flower, is in vitarka mudra. She has a lovely young face and her body is slim and slender. Her black hair is partly upswept in beautiful knots with decoration on it and partly falls on her shoulders. She wears flowery crown. There is small image of Buddha in her headdress. She wears gold hoop earrings with dangle. Her heavy gold necklaces have been executed with floral motifs. She also wears gold armlets, bangles and anklets. Moreover she wears sky-blue scarf with gold decoration on it and a plain brown scarf draped around her chest. Her lower garments are painted in an exceptionally lively manner.

There is a white mandorla and light blue halo behind her body and head, respectively. The elaborate border of blue silk brocade depicts gold circular shou motifs represent gold Chinese coins and are used as good-luck symbols. This is perhaps a rare type of painting as it shows the goddess in sky to observe the sufferings of whole universe. This type of thangka is hardly available in art mart. This painting is also very much suitable to ritual and meditation.

Select Bibliography

A. Getty, The Gods of Northern Buddhism, Tokyo, 1962

B. Bhattacharyya, The Indian Buddhist Iconography, Calcutta, 1968

Ben Meulenbeld, Buddhist Symbolism in Tibetan Thangka, Holland, 2001

Lokesh Chandra, Transcendental Art of Tibet, Delhi, 1996

Marylin M. Rhie & Robert A.F. Thurman, Worlds of Transformation: Tibetan Art of Wisdom and Compassion, New York, 1999

This description is by Dr. Shailendra K. Verma, whose Doctorate thesis is on "Emergence and Evolution of the Buddha Image (From its inception to 8th century A.D.)".

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Unveiling the Divine Art: Journey into the Making of Thangkas

A Thangka is a traditional Tibetan Buddhist painting that usually depicts a Buddhist Deity (Buddha or Bodhisattva), a scene, or a mandala. These paintings are considered important paraphernalia in Buddhist rituals. They are used to teach the life of the Buddha, various lamas, and Bodhisattvas to the monastic students, and are also useful in visualizing the deity while meditating. One of the most important subjects of thangkas is the Bhavacakra (the wheel of life) which depicts the Art of Enlightenment. It is believed that Thangka paintings were developed over the centuries from the murals, of which only a few can be seen in the Ajanta caves in India and the Mogao caves in Gansu Province, Tibet. Thangkas are painted on cotton or silk applique and are usually small in size. The artist of these paintings is highly trained and has a proper understanding of Buddhist philosophy, knowledge, and background to create a realistic and bona fide painting.
The process of making a thangka begins with stitching a loosely woven cotton fabric onto a wooden frame. Traditionally, the canvas was prepared by coating it with gesso, chalk, and base pigment.
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After this, the outline of the form of the deity is sketched with a pencil or charcoal onto the canvas using iconographic grids. The drawing process is followed in accordance with strict guidelines laid out in Buddhist scriptures. The systematic grid helps the artist to make a geometrical and professional painting. When the drawing of the figures is finalized and adjusted, it is then outlined with black ink.
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Earlier, a special paint of different colors was made by mixing powdered forms of organic (vegetable) and mineral pigments in a water-soluble adhesive. Nowadays, artists use acrylic paints instead. The colors are now applied to the sketch using the wet and dry brush techniques. One of the characteristic features of a thangka is the use of vibrant colors such as red, blue, black, green, yellow, etc.
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In the final step, pure gold is coated over some parts of the thangka to increase its beauty. Due to this beautification, thangkas are much more expensive and also stand out from other ordinary paintings.
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Thangka paintings are generally kept unrolled when not on display on the wall. They also come with a frame, a silken cover in front, and a textile backing to protect the painting from getting damaged. Because Thangkas are delicate in nature, they are recommended to be kept in places with no excess moisture and where there is not much exposure to sunlight. This makes them last a long time without their colors fading away. Painting a thangka is an elaborate and complex process and requires excellent skills. A skilled artist can take up to 6 months to complete a detailed thangka painting. In earlier times, thangka painters were lamas that spent many years on Buddhist studies before they painted.
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