A thangka is a Tibetan Buddhist painting on cotton, silkappliqué, 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. hangka serve as important teaching tools depicting the life of the Buddha, various influential lamas and other deities and bodhisattvas. (excerpted from Wikipedia)
Recommended Reading
Tibetan Paintings: A Study of Tibetan Thankas Eleventh to Nineteenth CenturiesWorlds of Transformation: Tibetan Art of Wisdom and CompassionWisdom and Compassion: The Sacred Art of TibetTreasures of Tibetan Art: The Collections of the Jacques Marchais Museum of Tibetan ArtA History of Tibetan Painting (Beitrage Zur Kultur- Und Geistesgeschichte Asiens)Art of Tibet: Selected Articles from Orientations 1981-1997The Encyclopedia of Tibetan Symbols and MotifsThe Bon Religion of Tibet: The Iconography of a Living TraditionMirror of the Buddha: Early Portraits from Tibet (Masterworks of Tibetan Painting)Female Buddhas: Women of Enlightenment in Tibetan Mystical ArtTibetan Thangka Painting: Methods and MaterialsLiving Hands: Tibetan Arts and Artisans by Chris BuckleyHandbook of Tibetan Iconometry: A Guide to the Arts of the 17th Century (Brill's Tibetan Studies Library) (English and Chinese Edition)Painting Traditions of the Drigung Kagyu School (Masterworks of Tibetan Painting)