Cloisonne Thangka Collection

About Cloisonne

Cloisonné, a French word meaning "enclosed", is an ancient technique for decorating metalwork objects with coloured material held in place or separated by metal strips or wire, normally of gold. The technique was mostly used for jewellery and similar small objects in the ancient Near East. It was spread to China in the 14th century (Yuan Dynasty), where it was used for larger vessels such as bowls and vases. Cloisonné technique is common in China to the present day. It has been listed as China’s national intangible cultural heritage since 2006.

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Traditionally, cloisonné decoration is formed by first adding compartments or cells to the metal object. It is done by soldering or sticking silver or gold wires, or thin strips placed on edge, which are visible in the finished piece, separating the different compartments. Cloisonné enamel objects are worked on with coloured enamel powder made into a paste and filled in the cells, which then is fired in a kiln.

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About Tibetan Thangka
 

The thangka, a Tibetan painting using ground mineral pigment on cotton or silk, functions as one of the principle meditational tools in Buddhist practice.

A thangka usually depicts a central Buddhist deity or teacher surrounded by associated gods and lineage figures, describes events or myths attributed to important religious teachers, or outlines the blueprint of a particular deity’s realm as a mandala. The viewer accrues merit and makes spiritual progress by meditating on the iconographic imagery associated with the particular Buddhist teaching.

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Modern Cloisonne Thangka

The modern simplified cloisonné technique in China creates designs on flat surfaces with enamel placed within enclosures made of golden or silver coated copper or aluminium wires, which have been bent and glued into the desired pattern. The coloured enamel powder is  then  mixed with dissolvable glue,  and painted into the contained areas of the design.

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Tsultrim Norbu's Unique Cloisonne Thangka

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Unlike other thangka artists, Tsultrim Norbu creates his unique thangka style combining the Han Chinese cloisonne technique and traditional Tibetan thangka art. It involves four major steps in the process: first, sketch on the aluminium plate; second, glue the golden coated aluminium wires according to the sketch; third, apply coloured enamel paste; and finally, paint with traditional thangka colours using an ink brush. The finished works of gold wires, glimmer enamel and natural pigment ink give each piece a strikingly vivid and resplendent appearance and aura.