Derge Printing House, Derge, Kham Region, Eastern Tibet
ca. 1979
Derge Printing House, Derge, Kham Region, Eastern Tibet
ca. 1979
This Six Symbols of Long Life, with the Sage of Long Life being the largest at the center, is clearly based on Chinese Daoist immortal imagery. The sage is seated on the antelope of long life (Tib. ri dAgs tshe ring), framed behind by the tree of long life (Tib. shing tshe ring) and rock of long life (Tib. brag tshe ring). In front is the water of long life (Tib. chu tshe ring) with the bird of long life (Tib. bya tshe ring), typically depicted as a white crane (or pair of cranes). Above, the Buddha of Infinite Life Amitayus floats. Below at a table are the Chinese Seven Gods of Good Fortune.
This woodblock print was printed at the Derge Printing House in the Kham region of southeastern Tibet (modern-day Ganzi, Sichuan Province, PRC). Founded in 1729, it is one of the largest and most important producers of traditional Tibetan woodblock prints.
According to the Derge Printing House, the original composition was painted following the instructions of Zhuchen Tsultrim Rinchen (1697–1774), a famous editor and designer of paintings. Born into a family of artists in Kham, he studied traditional artistic skills under his father, the artist Ngawang Chopel, assisting with several local painting projects, and supervising painting murals of jataka tales and the life of the Buddha at the monastery of Rakchu Namgyel. In the 1730s, Tsultrim Rinchen became heavily involved in the publishing activities of the newly founded Derge Printing House under the patronage of the King of Derge, Tenpa Tsering (1678–1738). He was put in charge of major printing projects, such as the Sakya Kambum and a new edition of the Tengyur (Buddhist commentarial literature). He also continued his involvement with artistic works, planning and supervising paintings, such as illustrations of the narratives of the Buddha’s previous lives from the Wish-fulfilling Vine and images of the 16 arhats. See his biography on Treasury of Lives.
While the primary religious goal for followers of Buddhism is enlightenment, many of the practices also serve secular goals related to daily life, including ethical conduct and cultivating well-being.
In Buddhism merit is accumulated through engaging in positive actions that lead to positive results, such as better rebirths. Buddhists gain merit by making offerings, donating to those in need, reciting mantras, and other good deeds.
Prescribed practices that carry symbolic meaning and value within a specific tradition and are intended to attain a desired outcome. Rituals are usually done as part of a ceremony or regular routine.
An awakened being who understands the true nature of reality and is free from the cycle of birth, death, and rebirth. While there are many buddhas, Siddhartha Gautama is the historical Buddha, whose teachings became the foundation of Buddhism.
Himalayan art includes portraits of legendary and historical humans, including accomplished religious teachers (lamas), the Buddha’s original disciples (arhats), and spiritually accomplished tantric masters (mahasiddhas).
Although Tibetan Buddhism was not practiced broadly in China, the imperial centers, such as Beijing and Mount Wutai, emerged as hubs of Tibetan Buddhist cultural production. The emperors of the Mongol Yuan (1271–1368), Chinese Ming (1368–1644), and Manchu Qing (1644–1911) dynasties harnessed Tibetan Buddhist ideas to consolidate their power.
Today, Tibetans primarily inhabit the Tibetan Plateau, situated between the Himalayan mountain range and the Indian subcontinent to the west, Chinese cultural regions to the east, and Mongolian cultural regions to the northeast. During the 7th to 9th century, Tibetan rulers expanded their empire across Central Asia, and established Buddhism as the state religion.
Woodblock printing became an important technology of production, propagation, and cross-cultural exchange of both text and image in Tibetan, Himalayan, and Inner Asian regions from the 12th century on.
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