A Tibetan Buddhist thangka from the Dharmapala Centre is a sacred work of art that often takes months to create. It is based on iconographic models that are many centuries old [the oldest known scroll paintings are from Buddhist India and are over 1000 years old]. You don't buy a picture like an industrially prefabricated mass product and put it in a virtual shopping basket. Arrangements have to be made beforehand, such as brocade frames, dedication and consecration inscriptions, and perhaps even a consecration puja in a monastery in Nepal.
Most of the scroll paintings published here have been sold, but some may still be in stock in Germany or Nepal. If you are interested in purchasing a painting, please contact our representative in Germany - Mr Holm Triesch - who will clarify the necessary details with you.
We have not published a price list as the cost of the images varies due to changes in exchange rates, country of delivery and maybe the need to commission an external artist. Please contact us and let us know what you are interested in and we will make you an offer.
If you compare our offers with those of other suppliers, you will often find that our prices are sometimes higher. There are two reasons for this. The first is the cost of our thangka artists. We only employ highly specialised painters who have years of experience in thangka painting. These skills are reflected in their remuneration.
The second reason is our material costs. We do not use chemical colours, but only special pigments made from precious minerals or rare plants, including gold, silver, agate and saffron, so the colours will not change for years.To inquire about the pricing and availability of thangkas or to request a special order, please contact our representative in Germany, Mr. Holm Triesch. He will answer all your questions, including those related to brocade mounting, dedication inscription, and the option of a consecration puja in a Nepalese monastery.
As mentioned above, please remember that thangka paintings are sacred creations. Each one takes time. If you order a painting, you will need to exercise patience. Even the smallest mandala takes one month to create. Larger thangkas or extremely intricate thangkas often take one year or longer to complete. If you travel to Kathmandu, you can easily purchase thangkas that take only a few days to create. These are the so-called »Junk Thangkas« intended for tourists. They lack the intricacy, refinement, and artists devotion that each thangka from the Dharmapala Centre offers. So when you special order a thangka, please know that your patience will be well-rewarded.
Two important things at the end: If you order a painting, we are sorry to ask for your patience. You will have to wait about a month for even the smallest mandala. For larger formats or pictures with a lot of detail, it can easily take a year or more. Only the so-called »junk-thangkas«, which are sold to tourists in Kathmandu for little money, can be produced within a few days. These images usually show randomly assembled deities or symbols without any iconographic authenticity. Some of the deities in these paintings exist only in the imagination of the painters.
Finally, if for any reason, you are displeased with your thangka, you do not have to pay. Simply return the thangka. That's all. All of our customers are astounded by the quality of their purchases. If you do not like a painting you have ordered, you have the right to return it, so there is no risk involved. This also applies if you have commissioned an image. Simply send the thangka back to us, that's all. You only pay our shipping costs.