Page 10 - Tibetan Thangka Painting Methodsand Mat, Jackson

very important, and worthy examples of arts and crafts examples of excellent iron and brass metalwork, the
were found in both the town dweller's house and the finest specimens of which were also sometimes gilded
nomadic herdsman's tent. with gold.
Take, for example, the tents of the nomads in Another type of metalworker belonged to the
Northeastern Tibet. Most of them were not, as we group that made molds and then cast objects with
might first suppose, poor or sparsely furnished; on the molten metals. Such craftsmen produced. not only
contrary, they were actually portable and completely cast-metal ritual implements and religious statues, but
furnished houses. Inside could be found low tables, also such everyday things as bells and buttons.
boxes, baskets, pots and other cooking utensils, braziers, Yet another group of metalworkers fashioned
bowls and covered tea cups, churns, mills, looms, leather objects from the softer metals - copper, silver and gold.
storage bags and still more - all the products of one They had their own special skills, such as the raising of
craftsman or another. The most important spot in the bowls from flat sheets, cutting, welding, soldering,
nomadic family's tent was the Buddhist shrine, a care- chasing, stamping and engraving. Much of the Tibetan
fully tended wooden altar on which were arranged the silversmith's time was spent on objects for Tibetan
family's sacred images, often contained· within Buddhist worship such as reliquaries and the water
intricately crafted silver reliquaries (ga 'u). Over the altar bowls and lamps used for making offerings before
hung sacred scroll paintings, and before the shrine silver shrines. Silversmiths also made household objects for
offering bowls and flickering butter lamps were placed. the well-to-do: teacup stands and covers, silver linings
For almost everything made of wood or metal, the for wooden cups, silver spoons, and so forth. At the
nomads depended on outside craftsmen, and because of pinnacle of the metalworking profession were the
the remoteness and dangers of nomadic life, they had to goldsmiths, whose main occupation was fashioning
rely especially on those who made and repaired gold ornaments for personal wear and setting them
weapons. Without craftsmen not only would the· with turquoises and other precious stones.
,
nomad's tent have been almost empty, but his very
survival would have been impossible.
Tradesmen, craftsmen and artists were likewise
essential to the village farmers and townsfolk of Tibet.
In the largest settlements the artisan could often remain
at his place of work, and his customers would come to
him. In the remote villages and nomadic regions the
artisan often went to the dwellings or encampments of
his patrons and customers. There he would stay for as
long as his services were needed, and then move on.
But in all settlements in Tibet, large and small, there
was a continuous demand for the various specialized
skills and crafts that supported the traditional way of
life.
If we could visit a household in a town we would
also notice the products of a great many arts and crafts.
Merely to list them, however, would not in any way
indicate the diversity of materials and complexity of
methods used by the craftsman in even one. Let us take
a closer look at one group of allied crafts, metalworking..
Workers with these skills actually constituted a number
of distinct professions, each with its own special tech-
niques and materials, and as a group they were
subdivided into a number of social classes. The higher
echelons consisted of the craftsmen who worked the
noble metals, primarily silver, and highest of all, gold. Silver reliquary (ga 'u).
Lowest were the blacksmiths. Such craftsmen often needed to know a large
The smith's main material was iron, which he number of complex techniques for their own single
worked with tongs, bellows and hammer. He fashioned vocation. The manufacture of some objects, further-
various things including swords, knives, scissors, needles, more, was complicated by the necessity for two or more
and farm implements. Some smiths also fashioned craftsmen to work in cooperation. Metalworking, for
objects from iron and brass together, or from brass instance, often combined with woodworking: smiths
alone. The workers who made the metal equipment used were often called upon to make handles, latches, hinges,
in horse riding, for instance, often used a combination of decorative ornaments and locks for wooden objects
metals. Whether the metal parts were functional or such as boxes and doors. The making of riding equip-
merely decorative, the Tibetan horseman's saddle, ment also required cooperation: in addition to
bridle, crupper, breastplate and stirrups were often metalworking, the finished piece required the technique

6 THE ARTISTIC WEALTH OF OLD TIBET