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Ancient Beginning of Tibetan Art:
Drawing, Sculpture and Metal Arts
The Painted Image
Painting had its origin in the country of Magadha in central India (modern Bihar). King Bimbisara conceived the idea of presenting his ally, King Utrayana, with a painted portrait of their beloved teacher, Lord Buddha, but the artist was so overwhelmed by the splendor of the Buddha that he could not draw while looking at him directly. After the problem was presented to the Buddha, he said, “Let us go together to the bank of a clear and limpid pool.” Then the Buddha sat by the bank of the pool, while the artist sketched the reflection on the water’s surface. In the finished painting the central figure is surrounded with designs symbolizing the twelve nidanas (links of interdependent causality). When Utrayana glanced at this portrait for the first time, he had intuitive understanding of reality. This particular style became known as the, “Image of the Buddha Taken from the Reflection in the Water”.
Karma Gardri Style
His Holiness the eighth Karmapa, (Mikyo Dorje, 1507-1554), recognized Namka Tashi who was born in upper Yarlung, Tibet as his emanation who would carry out the Karmapa's wishes in the realm of the arts. Namka Tashi studied with Konchok Penday, (Konchok was considered to be an emanation of the princess Tsoyi Padmo, who had been a powerful patroness of the Buddhist arts, and was considered to be an emanation of the noble Tara). Konchok Penday taught Namka Tashi the strict proportions as laid down by the Sharli of India.
