Tangka
Tangka
late 19th century (made)
late 19th century (made)
| Place of origin |
Tangka showing the Wheel of Life (Bhavacakramudra) held by the God of Death Shinje (Mara) who is brown in colour, three eyed and wears a tiger skin In the centre of the circle are a cock (representing passion), a snake (wrath) and a pig (ignorance) chasing each others' tail symbolising the essential nature of existence. This is surrounded by a circle showing the cycle of rebirths, in the right descending to woeful rebirths, on the left rising to happy rebirths. Next outwards are six segments representing: 1.Heavern; 2. The world of Titans; 3.Unhappy spirits; 4 Hot and Cold Hells; 5. the world of Animals 6. The world of men. Around the rim are shown eleven of 12 conditions which perpetuate the cycle of rebirth : Feeling (man with arrow in his eye), desire (drinking scene), appropriation (man grasping fruit from tree), birth, death, ignorance (old blind womean), impulses (potter making pots), consciousness (monkeys plucking fruit from a tree). personality (boats), the sences (house with many windows), contact ( a couple kissing).
Object details
| Object type | |
| Title | Tangka (generic title) |
| Materials and techniques | Painted in gouache on cotton and mounted in scroll form on faded blue damask with borders of red and yellow damask. |
| Brief description | Tangka,Wheel of Existence held by Shinje; Religion, gouache cotton, Tibet, 1850-99 |
| Physical description | Tangka showing the Wheel of Life (Bhavacakramudra) held by the God of Death Shinje (Mara) who is brown in colour, three eyed and wears a tiger skin In the centre of the circle are a cock (representing passion), a snake (wrath) and a pig (ignorance) chasing each others' tail symbolising the essential nature of existence. This is surrounded by a circle showing the cycle of rebirths, in the right descending to woeful rebirths, on the left rising to happy rebirths. Next outwards are six segments representing: 1.Heavern; 2. The world of Titans; 3.Unhappy spirits; 4 Hot and Cold Hells; 5. the world of Animals 6. The world of men. Around the rim are shown eleven of 12 conditions which perpetuate the cycle of rebirth : Feeling (man with arrow in his eye), desire (drinking scene), appropriation (man grasping fruit from tree), birth, death, ignorance (old blind womean), impulses (potter making pots), consciousness (monkeys plucking fruit from a tree). personality (boats), the sences (house with many windows), contact ( a couple kissing). |
| Dimensions |
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| Collection | |
| Accession number | IS.70-1965 |
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| Record created | June 25, 2009 |
| Record URL |
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