From the archive record
A Sikkimese girl colours a Thangka painting as a young men carving wood sculptures in Sikkim, India. Buddhist deity paintings with roots in Himalayan and Tibetan regions known as 'Thangkas' are the oldest form of traditional and religious art. These thangka served as important teaching tools depicting the life of the Buddha, various influential lamas and other deities and bodhisattvas. One subject is The Wheel of Life, which is a visual representation of the Abhidharma teachings (Art of Enlightenment). Thangka, when created properly, perform several different functions. Images of deities can be used as teaching tools when depicting the life (or lives) of the Buddha, describing historical events concerning important Lamas, or retelling myths associated with other deities. Devotional images