Appliquéd thangkas

Less widely known than the art of thangka painting is the art of thangka appliqué, where the images of awareness beings or lineage lamas are not painted but are instead created out of fabric. Several practitioners in the Aro gTér lineage have become specialists in creating appliquéd thangkas and, toward this end, have learned very refined sewing techniques.

Below you can see Kyabjé Künzang Dorje Rinpoche and Jomo Samphel Déchen Rinpoche, the root lamas of Ngak’chang Rinpoche and Khandro Déchen. The book Wisdom Eccentrics gives a detailed account of the early relationship between Ngak’chang Rinpoche and his teacher Kyabjé Künzang Dorje Rinpoche. Jomo Samphel Déchen Rinpoche is living in Boudhanath next to the Great Chörten in Kathmandu, Nepal. She is the only root teacher of Ngak’chang Rinpoche and Khandro Déchen who is still alive today.

The Aro gTér Tradition appliqué thangkas (there are now six) are possibly unique in being far smaller than the gigantic appliqué thangkas that are unfurled from the roofs of Gompas in Tibet and Bhutan — and so silver-smithing and embroidery are required to fabricate those aspects of the appliqués which would not look well if constructed with fabric.

Naljorma Nyima trained as a Tibetan appliqué artist with Leslie Rinchen-Wongmo and has created four large appliqué thangkas for Drala Jong (sGra bLa lJongs / སྒྲ་བླ་ལྗོངས་): Guru Rinpoche; Yeshé Tsogyel; Ling Gésar; Kyabjé Künzang Dorje Rinpoche; and, Jomo Sam‘phel Déchen Rinpoche. She is currently working on a large appliqué of Dorje Phurba. Her final work for Drala Jong will be an appliqué thangka of Düd‘jom Lingpa which will hang behind the over-life-sized statue of Kyabjé Düd’jom Rinpoche Jig’drèl Yeshé Dorje.

Starting point for each appliqué thangka is a line drawing. Pieces of fabric are than stitched together to obtain the different shapes of the image. The contours are defined by using horsetail cords which are created by wrapping colored threads around single hairs from horses’ tails. This is a highly elaborate process but the resulting images are absolutely beautiful.

Naljorma Nyima says:  “The traditional appliqué technique is a wonderful opportunity to appreciate the senses throughout the entire process – from choosing the fabrics to mounting the pieces together. And it is also a practice in passion and precision.”

In the Tibetan tradition appliqués are seen as even more precious than painted thangkas.

Appliqué thangkas in the Aro gTér have differ from other appliqués since other materials as used. Real conch, gZi stones, phurbas, silver-smithing and embroidery are required to fabricate those aspects of the appliqués which would not look well if constructed with fabric.