HIMALAYAN ART

Group 6
Nepal
Demography
• Nepal is a nation between India and Tibet
• Nepal's population was approximately 26 million people
• Nepal can boast of a multi-ethnic population that also
houses a host of different cultures that are shared by its
inhabitants.
• 81.3% of the Nepalese population was , 9.0% Buddhist,
4.4% Muslim, 3.0% Kirant/Yumaist, 1.42% Christian, and
0.9% followed other or no religion.
Culture
• When you visit a Nepali home, you are offered a cup
of teaNepal's population was approximately 26
million people
• Nepalese wear a smile and rich, traditional social
values where love and affection comes before
anything else
• Nepalese respect Guests as God and hospitable by
nature
Culture
• An interesting ways to understand the beauty and
richness of Nepali culture is through its festivals.
• During festivals in Nepal, cultural dances, songs and
performances are practiced.
• Traditional folk musicians (Gaine) gather for an
evening of singing and socializing; classical dancing
and trance-like masked dances enliven the
Kathmandu Valley and Bhaktapur regions
Culture
• Weeding Procession is also one of the major parts of
culture in Nepal.
• Sometimes the parents hold marriages for their 11 or
12 years old daughters
• No wedding would be complete without the raucous
Damais (Nepal’s modern ensembles) there are so
many ceremonies during the lifetime from birth till
the die date.
Arts
• Nepalese expressions of art, classical and modern,
are imbedded in the daily practice of religion.
• On the subject of painting, miniature oil paintings
and batik art have become very popular over the last
few years.
• Batik is a technique of wax-resist dyeing applied to
whole cloth.
Example of batik art
• Ganesha Sitting on Lotus.
This elephant headed Indian
deity symbolizes success ,
prosperity and knowledge.
This handmade batik painting
has been done on high quality
cotton fabric that assures
beauty with durability
Arts
• Art is linked to religious ceremonies, particularly
marriage and its consequence, procreation. nterspersed
with the Vedic marital rites, with the Sanskrit chanting by
the Brahmins, is a tradition controlled by the women and
devoted to female deities Durga, Kali and Gauri. The
bride and groom are pulled away by the women for their
own ceremonies devoted to Gauri in which men other
than the groom are forbidden. Gauri is the goddess to
whom the bride has prayed since childhood to bring her
a good husband.
Paintings
• Batik paintings usually depict everyday village scenes
such as a girl carrying a baby on her back, porters
carrying their loads.
• Most souvenir shops in Nepal have a number of
batik paintings different sizes and designs, mostly
unframed; it is also possible to order one’s own
design
Batik painting
Paintings
• Oil paintings have a charm of their own and are
especially successful in depicting landscapes and
mountain sceneries.
• An interesting variation is found in oil paintings
painted on the reverse side of the ‘nanglos’ – circular
hand-woven trays used by Nepalese women to sort
rice
Oil Paintings

Mt. Fistel and Village of Mt. Amadablam and Porters

Nepal by Keshab Raj Khanal by Narendra Bhattarai
Paintings
• Mithila Paintings (Janakpur) Bihar boasts of an enviable
wealth of rural handicrafts comprising of hand – painted
wall hangings, wooden stools, miniatures in paper and
leaves, stone pottery, bamboo and leather goods, and
applique.
• This art is a strict monopoly of the women of Mithila.
• The vibrant artwork produced by Maithili women can be
traced back as far as the 7th century and has been
passed from generation to generation since.
Mithila Paintings
Paintings
• Wall Paintings paintings on wall have deeper
themes, also narratives, for they are the stories being
told sometimes in a series of panels
• Apart from their decorative purpose, they also
constitute a form of visual education like picture
books, from which ones learns of ones heritage.
• Can be usually seen in temples
Wall Paintings
Calligraphy
• In Nepal Calligraphy started from the oldest
inscription in the Ashoka Pillar of Lumbini. It is
written in Brahmni Script in 254 B.C.
• Brahmni Script developed in the mid-1st millennium
BCE, is the oldest known writing system of Ancient
India, with the possible exception of the
undeciphered Indus script.
Brahmni Script
Bhugimol Script
 Ranjana Script

It is one of the artistic Script.

Ranjana Script has its history
from 11th century
Furniture
• Furniture is about style, design and for some, luxury
and an idea of perfection. In the brightly painted new
housing colonies springing up on Kathmandu's
outskirts, the talk is of interior décor and boutique
furniture outlets. As middle-class consumers
embrace a lifestyle culture.
 Furniture
Fusion, Thapathali
Fusion says it sells "furniture of the
future". The straight-edged and
elegant European styles are striking
to look at, easy to deliver and
assemble. The speciality here is office
furniture, mostly made in Nepal from
pre-laminated particle board
 Furniture

Akarshan Interiors, Kopundole

With creative, innovative and stylish
furniture available, buyers no longer
need to travel abroad. The designs
here are simple but elegant and
artistic. Specialising in wrought
ironwork
 Furniture

Bloom, Basundhara
Featuring authentic Nepali aankhe
jhyal and sofa chairs with
personalised carving, Bloom is a
trend-setter in the growing demand
for the 'antique' look
 Furniture

Woodcraft, Kumaripati
Specialising in meticulously crafted
wooden furniture, this shop
provides exclusive, original products
made of seasoned wood. Offering
made-to-measure designs for both
home and offic
Sculptures
• Majority of the sculptures were created in the service of
religion, and although most of the artists were Buddhist,
neither a Hindu nor a Buddhist style is discernible.
• As in medieval India, the same artists probably produced
art for both religions. Nepal is one of the few places in
the world where Buddhism and Hinduism have coexisted
peacefully for almost 2,000 years.
Sculptures
• Nepalese sculptors worked in many media, including
stone, metal, wood, and terracotta. Their metal
sculptures are either heavily gilded or, if the gold has
worn off, have a slightly reddish patina that derives from
their high copper content.
• Nepalese sculpture is a conservative tradition, with slight
changes in proportion or decorative details appearing
over hundreds of years. Stylistically, Nepalese sculpture
grew out of the art of Gupta India, and later was
influenced by that of Pala India.
 Examples of Nepalese Sculptures
Manjushri, the Bodhisattva of
Transcendent Wisdom, in an Awesome
Aspect
Period: Thakuri period
Date: 10th century
Culture: Nepal (Kathmandu Valley)
Medium: Gilt-copper alloy with color and
gold paint
Dimensions: H. 12 1/2 in. (31.8 cm); H.
incl. base 14 1/4 in. (36.2 cm); W. 6 1/4 in.
(15.9 cm); D. 3 1/4 in. (8.3 cm); Wt. 12 lbs
(5.4 kg)
Classification: Sculpture
 Examples of Nepalese Sculptures
Bodhisattva, probably Padmapani
Lokeshvara
Period: Licchavi–Thakuri periods
Date: 10th–11th century
Culture: Nepal (Kathmandu Valley)
Medium: Gilt copper alloy
Dimensions: H. 11 7/8 in. (30.2 cm)
Classification: Sculpture
Credit Line: Gift of Margery and
Harry Kahn, 1981
 Examples of Nepalese Sculptures

Vishnu
Period: Thakuri period
Date: 10th–11th century
Culture: Nepal (Kathmandu Valley)
Medium: Gilt-copper alloy
Dimensions: H. 8 1/2 in. (21.6 cm);
W. 5 in. (12.7 cm); D. 1 3/8 in. (3.5
cm); Wt. 2 lbs (.9 kg)
Classification: Sculpture
Architecture
• Nepal’s architecture shows influences from all three
cultures and is a strong symbol of the country’s
heritage
• The three medieval city-states of the Kathmandu
Valley – Kathmandu, Bhaktapur and Patan – exhibit
some of the most spectacular ancient Nepal
architecture in its temples, palaces and monasteries,
 Architectural Styles
Stupa
Originating in ancient India, stupas
are Buddhist in their concept and
execution, designed as a tomb-like
structure to house sacred relics.
They have since spread across Asia
and into Nepal, evolving into
different forms and incorporating
elements specific to different
regions.
 Architectural Styles

• The shape of a stupa is

representative of Buddha, with
the top of the spire symbolizing
his crown, while his head is the
square at the spire’s base and his
body the hemispherical dome
shape. His legs are represented
by the four steps on the lower
terrace at the base of his throne
 Architectural Styles

• while the four sides of the square base

(harmika) are often painted with pairs
of “all seeing” eyes
• The design is also believed to represent
the five Buddhist elements – Earth (the
square base), Water (the hemispherical
dome), Fire (the conical spire), Air (the
upper lotus parasol), Space (the sun
and the dissolving point).
 Architectural Styles
Pagoda
The pagoda features prominently in
Nepalese temples, with multi-
roofed structures and wide eaves
which are supported by beautifully
carved wooden struts. The roof is
often topped by triangular spires
which enclose an inverted bell,
while projecting windows are either
latticed or grilled.
 Architectural Styles

• Pagoda style of Nepal

architecture evolved from the
dome-shaped stupa which was
used to store sacred relics and
became a distinctive feature of
Newari architecture
 Architectural Styles

The Shikhara Style

A prominent feature of Nepal’s
Hindu temple architecture is
Shikhara – a tall curvilinear or
pyramidal tower. It translates from
Sanskrit as “mountain peak” and
usually exhibits a highly ornate
exterior.
 Architectural Styles

• Shikhara were designed over the

sanctum sanctorum where the
presiding deities were enshrined
and topped by a bell-shaped
“alasha”, or sacred brass
receptacle.
 Architectural Styles

Newa Architecture
The Kathmandu Valley is also noted
for its Newa style of Nepal
architecture, an indigenous style
which has long been used by the
Newari people in building
everything from residential housing
to chaitya monastery buildings.
 Architectural Styles

Newa Architecture
The Kathmandu Valley is also noted
for its Newa style of Nepal
architecture, an indigenous style
which has long been used by the
Newari people in building
everything from residential housing
to chaitya monastery buildings.
 Architectural Styles

• Traditional Newari houses were

generally three-storied, with
pitched roofs and a small
courtyard or chowk. They
normally featured narrow
windows exhibiting fine wooden
latticework and entrance doors
barred with large wooden
planks.
Tibet
Demography
• Historic region and autonomos region of China that is
often called “the roof of the world.” It occupies a vast
area of plateaus and mountains in Central Asia,
including Mount Everest.
• It is bordered by the Chinese provinces of Quinjia to the
northeast, Sichuan to the east, and Yunnan to the
southeast; by Myannmar (Burma), India, Bhutan,
and Nepal to the south; by the disputed Kashmir region
to the west; and by the Uygur Autonomous Region
of Xinjiang to the northwest
Demography
• Before the 1950s Tibet was largely isolated from the
rest of the world. It constituted a unique cultural and
religious community, marked by the Tibetan
language and Tibetan Buddhism
• Tibet’s incorporation into the People’s Republic of
China began in 1950 and has remained a highly
charged and controversial issue, both within Tibet
and worldwide
Demography
• Tibet has an area of 471,700 square miles (1,221,600
square km). Population of 3,002,166.
• Many Tibetans (especially those outside China)
consider China’s action to be an invasion of
a sovereign country, and the continued Chinese
presence in Tibet is deemed an occupation by a
foreign power
Culture
• Bon is the main aboriginal religion during the prehistoric
civilization on Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau, which was established
in the 5th century B.C. by Shenrab Miwoche, the prince of
Zhang-zhung kingdom in western Tibetits festivals.
• In the 7th century A.D., Buddhism was introduced to Tubo
Kingdom on a large scale and Bon lost its dominance in the
mid 8th century. Tibetan Buddihism has been ramified into
four major sects: Nyingma Sect, Kadam Sect, Sakya Sect,
Kagyu Sect and Gulug up to the 15th century
Culture
• Tibetan encounters a friend or an acquaintance, he will
remove his hat and bow while holding his hatin front of
his chest. However, if he meets an official, a senior, or a
highly respected person, he should lower his hat as much
as possible when he bows
• When you pay a visit to a monastery, remove your hat as
entering the temple. Generally, it is not necessary to
remove your shoes, even though monks do that
Culture
• Proposal is the first step of marriage. Traditionally, if a
man is interested in a lady, he will seek her age, date of
birth and her zodiac attribute (i.e mouse, ox, tiger, rabbit,
dragon, snake, horse, sheep, monkey, chicken, dog or
pig).
• On wedding day, the groom's side will find a man with
good status to take a group of people and colorful arrows
decorated with mirrors, jades and jewels, along with a
finely decorated horse of pregnancy whose color match
the bride's birthpet to bride's house
Culture
• Proposal is the first step of marriage. Traditionally, if a
man is interested in a lady, he will seek her age, date of
birth and her zodiac attribute (i.e mouse, ox, tiger, rabbit,
dragon, snake, horse, sheep, monkey, chicken, dog or
pig).
• On wedding day, the groom's side will find a man with
good status to take a group of people and colorful arrows
decorated with mirrors, jades and jewels, along with a
finely decorated horse of pregnancy whose color match
the bride's birthpet to bride's house
Arts
• Tibetan arts originated from the rock paintings in
ancient time and its contents ranged from animal
images of deer, ox, sheep, horse, etc to hunting
scenes.
• Tibetan arts have developed very well during the
period of Tubo Kingdom
• Especially after introducing Buddhism to Tibet,
religious paintings made a further progress
Arts
• The heritage of traditional Tibetan crafts and the fusion
of India, Nepal and Han People’s art essence make
Tibetan arts outstand in the world. Tourists can get a
panorama view of Tibet arts through stone and rock
carvings, murals, frescos, sand mandala and precious
Thangkas.
• As a kind of folk art, Tibetan carving is Tibetan culture in
miniature. It records the past days of Tibetan area and
people's life
Paintings
• Tibetan Thangka
paintings. Painted by hand
on cloths of silk or cotton,
these bright, colorful
paintings usually depict a
Buddhist deity or other
religious scene.
Paintings
• Traditionally, the Thangka
are designed to tell the life
of Buddha, as well as
other influential lamas and
deities. The Tibetan word
THANG KA means
“recorded message” in
English
Paintings
• Tibetan murals - Tibet painting
art
Tibetan painting originated from rock
painting in ancient times. Tibetan
murals are evolved from early rock
paintings consisting mainly of the
animal images of deer, ox, sheep,
horses, and hunting scenes. Rock
painting was quite developed in
ancient times, especially after
Buddhism arrived, and religious
painting was further developed.
Calligraphy
• Uchen script དབུ་
ཅན། recognizable by it's
distinct angular
appearance, especially in
the straight heads of the
letters that align
horizontally; from which
the rest of the letter hangs
down from.
Calligraphy
• Tsugring or sometimes
called sug ring སུག་རིང།
meaning long limb. The
distinct character of this
script style is the long
height of the letters
Calligraphy

• Tsugtung is similar to Tsugring in style, the

main difference is that the letter height is
overall shorted.
Calligraphy
• Tsugmakhyug is a sub script style that sits
between Tsugtung and Khyug. It has a less formal
appearance, with a more rounded letterform and
shorter vowel signs.
Calligraphy
• Petsug ,often used for the publication of books,
as this script style has a distinctive short angular
style with short vowel signs, this means that the
lines of text can be placed closer togethe
Calligraphy
• Drutsa is the most cursive of the Tibetan script
styles, because of this it is used generally for
artistic calligraphy. Perhaps more feminine in
appearances, the rounded forms of the letters can
be exaggerated and flourished to fit all shapes
and orientations.
Calligraphy
• Khyug is known as the quick writing style, used
for swiftness needed for normal handwriting. Its
cursive form with vowel signs that stand up freely
yet joined up to the main body of text, means
that a separation of a different colour is not easily
possible.
Furniture
• National treasure
Classical Tibetan furniture is one of China’s great
treasures with a history of no less than 1500 years.
According to Zang Zu Jian Shi (The Brief History of Tibet),
as early as 6BC, there was a record of enrolling
carpenters to build the Jokhang Temple and Ramoche
Temple
Furniture
• The greatest characteristic of Tibetan furniture is its
simplicity. It is plain, solid, and practical. Plain: Tibetan
furniture is monotonous in shape, and restricted in
variety. There are no benches or chairs in Zang People’s
home, instead, they use chests, cabinets and tables
because they like to sit straight on the floor. Zang People
never make a fuss about the appearance of their
furniture; they like to be frank, so their furniture is either
square or rectanglular, not varying much in shape. This
makes it simple, yet unique.
Furniture
• Solid: Tibetan furniture is usually made of cedar or
other kinds of pine, while those bearing artistic
carvings are often made of precious Tibetan
hardwood. Furniture made in this way is much
heavier and more durable than that made of three-ply
board. Many chests and cabinets sold on Barkhor
Street have existed for more than seven decades.
Furniture
• Practical: Tibetan furniture is practical in the sense
that it can hold many things. For example, Tibetan
cabinets, though not large in appearance, have two
layers inside that can contain numbers of bowls,
clothes and quilts.
• Despite the above features, Tibetan furniture is also
known for its vitality, embodied in its design,
decoration and color.
Types of Tibetan Furniture
• Tibetan cabinets are common
in Zang people’s home. Most
of them have more or less
similar designs. They are used
as dinning tables, writing
desks, and deposit cupboards,
placing food, clothes, quilts,
and religious instruments
Furniture
• Tibetan tables have the longest
history among Tibetan furniture,
and are varied in shape and
design. They mainly serve as
dinning tables and tea tables.
Some times, they are also used
in religious ceremonies. These
tables are designed in a special
way. Some of them can be
folded, very convenient.
Furniture
• Tibetan chests originated in the
17th or 18th century, and were
gradually replaced by cabinets
echoing the practical need. They
are similar with camphorwood
chests, commonly found in Han
people’s homes. Some of them
are painted directly on the
board, some on a piece of
sackcloth, resembling oil
paintings.
Sculptures
• Sculpture of Tibet, like painting, is mostly religious in
nature. Most of images are of Buddha or Buddhist
deities. Many are hollow and have Buddhist sutras or
prayers inside. Metal sculptures are made using the
lost wax technique. Many Tibetan sculptures are of
historical figures or real life religious figures such as
past Dalai Lamas and Panchen Lamas.
Sculptures
• Tibetan Buddhist statues can be categorized into two
major schools: 1) exotic statues (from outside Tibet or
influenced by outside Tibet); and 2) local Tibetan statues.
Both can be further divided into more specific genres.
• As to how local Tibetan statues were created, according
to legend, Guru Rinpoche—the legendary figure who
brought Buddhism to Tibet— wanted to localize images
of deities so common people could appreciate them
better.
Sculptures
• Tibetan Buddhism is very
rich with abundant Buddhist
artifacts, and history of its
own Buddhist art.
Our Buddha gallery has the
large collection of Tibetan
Buddha statues, Tibetan
antique buddhas and more.
Architecture
• Much of the architecture in Tibet has incorporated
both Indian and Chinese influences in its design,
although it is still a unique and individual style of its
own. Local building materials are used in the
construction of the buildings, including stone, clay
and wood, and many are embellished with typical
Tibetan decorations, such as Buddhist symbols and
many homes and temples have prayer flags on their
roofs.
Architecture
• Typical Tibetan architecture can be classed into two
main types; religious structures and secular
structures (homes and offices). Religious structures
include the temples, monasteries and chortens or
stupas, and they can come in a variety of styles and
designs
 Architectural Styles
• Chorten or Stupa is an
important religious
monument that expresses the
symbolism of the Buddhist
religion and shows the
presence of the Buddha in the
region. Typically, they are a
round structure with a dome-
like roof, many of which
contain relics of Buddha and
his disciples
 Architectural Styles
• Tibetan monastery follows
the form of a large building
complex that consists of
many temples and halls,
monastic residence
quarters, several colleges,
and many stupas
 Architecture
• Lhasa Local Houses & Homes
• there are many different styles of
houses these days, and the
traditional white paintwork is
often not the norm. Many houses
are painted with the yellow earth
color, to denote the color of the
earth. Houses are constructed
with a central courtyard, which
includes a well and toilet set into
one corner of the courtyard, with
the residence surrounding the
whole thing.
 Architectural Styles
• Tents for Tibetan Nomads
In the wilds and plains of Tibet
live the Tibetan nomads,
nomadic herders that wander
the plains and prairies of the
region, moving their livestock
from one grassland to another
as the seasons progress
THANK YOU