“Thangka” (ཐང་ཀ་) is a Tibetan term that refers to a scroll painting, typically created on fabric with mineral-based paints, and then framed and hung for worship. Thangka can be categorized into two main types: “Guo Thangka” (Craft Thangka) and “Zhi Thangka” (Painted Thangka). The “Guo Thangka” category includes techniques like raised embroidery, embroidery, and woven embroidery, while “Zhi Thangka” is distinguished by its background colors, such as Red Thangka, Black Thangka, Gold Thangka, and Colored Thangka.

Unlike regular paintings, which fade and lose their vibrancy over time, Thangkas remain bright and vivid for centuries. The secret to their lasting color lies in the unique pigments used to create them. The paints used in Thangkas are made from all-natural materials, and they can be classified into nine types: earth, stone, water, fire, wood, grass, flowers, bone, and precious gems. Most Thangkas use pigments made from lapis lazuli, cinnabar, malachite, tortoiseshell, saffron, gold, silver, Dzi beads, coral, and turquoise, among others.