For One and or for Many: Affluent and Common Patronage of Narrative Art in Tibet

Abstract

Visual narratives occupy a prominent position in Tibetan art, and like performing arts and public religious rituals, directly engage their viewers, participants, and creators in the production and use of a specific art form. However, the role of pictorial narrative traditions remains largely overlooked in contemporary discussions of Tibetan visual art and culture. This paper focuses on two examples of pictorial narratives related to the legendary figure in Tibetan Buddhist culture, Padmasambhava. The first is found in the narrative murals of the Lukhang temple in Lhasa and the second in the simple hanging scroll painting (thangka) of itinerant storytellers, who are called lama mani. Both were initiated by individual patrons and tell the same story to be imparted to their intended audiences but their production and presentation, intended and actual uses vary considerably. The murals were restricted to viewing by Tibet’s ruler and entourage. The thangkas were appreciated by all gathered at pilgrimage or market places. This paper explores modes of patronage revealed by these distinct dynamics of participation in art production and the engagement with visual narratives. These support systems contributed to and shaped cultural production in pre-modern Tibet and are paralleled by “new” modes of patronage nowadays.