Beginning in the fifteenth century there was a gradual shift in Tibetan art from an Indic-centered aesthetic toward a more Chinese-centered one. This shift reflects the disappearance of Buddhism in India and Tibet’s increasingly close cultural, economic, and political ties to its northeastern Mongolian and Chinese neighbors.
In the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries, newly emerging Tibetan painting styles in Central Tibet were named after famous indigenous masters and artistic centers rather than adopted traditions such as Eastern Indian, Kashmiri, or Nepalese. These new styles, including the Menri, Khyenri, and Gardri, were known for their integration of Chinese-inspired landscapes and corresponding shift to increasingly green and blue palettes of malachite and azurite.
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Western Tibet
15th century
Tibetans revere sacred books as objects of devotion, believing that books contain the power to remove obstacles and advance people on their spiritual paths. It was a common practice, especially in western Tibet, to commission The Perfection of Wisdom (Prajnaparamita) Sutra on behalf of the deceased to improve their rebirth in the next life. For this reason the patrons were prominently featured. Here they are depicted in western Tibetan garments (see detail).
Donors dressed in western Tibetan garments. The painting’s color palette and stylistic elements—such as the red line drawings and outlines, proportions of the figures, and representations of local architecture—are comparable to the mural paintings in the temples of Tsaparang in western Tibet. The root fibers found in the paper indicate that it was produced locally.
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