Page 112 - Tibetan Thangka Painting Methodsand Mat, Jackson

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Bamboo brush with plug.

Another Variety of Thangka-Painting Brush Large Brushes

The above type of brush with the hairs attached to a A special type of brush also deserving mention was a
projecting point on the end of the handle was by far large horse-hair brush used by the painter Jampa from
the most common type used in thangka painting. In Lhasa. This brush was used for whitewashing or
addition, we met a small number of painters who used colouring walls and other large surfaces. The brush was
brushes that resembled, at least superficially, the Chinese large - about a foot long and one and one-half inches
ink-painting type. For example, the painter Gompo from thick. A noteworthy feature of this brush was that its
Kyirong constructed his brushes by bunching a tuft of construction allowed the painter to trim its tip again and
hairs into a plug, which he subsequently stuffed into a again. The brush was made from a sheaf of long hairs
hollow brush handle. He had experimented unsuccess- from the mane of a horse. The maker began by laying
fully with quills for handles but ended up mainly using the hairs parallel and then arranging them in a cluster.
hollow bamboo sticks that had been cut near the joints Next he dipped the cluster in glue, and when the glue
to make a receptacle for the hairs. had partially dried he wound a string around most of
Gompo had studied under a painting master from the length of the hairs. When the bundle of hairs had
Lhasa, and so it is possible that this kind of brush completely dried the artist or brush-maker sewed a piece
construction reflected the penetration of a Chinese of sheepskin leather over the part of the sheaf of hairs
brush type by way of the Tibetan capital where Chinese that had been wrapped with string, leaving a few inches
influence was felt more strongly. Indeed there is other of hair extending beyond the leather to serve 'as the
evidence that in this century "plug-construction" brush tip. After the leather had been moistened and
brushes were used by certain influential artists of Lhasa. dried, it would shrink and make a firm handle.
According to Rahula Sankrityayana, who observed the A brush such as this was subjected to a lot of wear
work of a court artist of the Thirteenth Dalai Lama in and tear since it was used for the preparation and
Lhasa in the 1930s: painting of rough surfaces such as walls. After a certa{n
amount of use the painting end of the brush became
Brushes of various sizes are made from twigs of considerably worn down. But since the brush hairs
sandalwood or smooth pine, shaped narrow at one extended through the full length of the brush - even
end and at the thicker end hollowed out to receive inside the "handle" - all the painter had to do to renew
a bunch of goat or cat hairs, or any other variety the brush was to expose more of the hairs. To do this he
capable of soaking up water. The hairs are tightly cut back an inch or so of the leather sheath, unwound
tied together, and one end dipped in glue made by the string, and then, if necessary for a good tip, trimmed
boiling bits of hide ... The glued end of the brush the end with a sharp knife.
is then wrapped with cloth and again tied and
inserted, with more glue, into the scooped-out
part of the wood. 3

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Large brush.

108 BRUSHES