Tibetan thangka paintings: conserving a living religious heritage in Australia

© 2010 Sabine CotteTibetan scrolls paintings or thangkas are present in public and private Australian collections. Religious ritual objects in their original context, thangkas are considered from a different perspective in Australia and the Western world: from sacred objects they become artworks in their new context. Conservation of thangkas is much more than a technical challenge posed by the diversity of materials present (painting on cloth, textile, wood and metal). In a holistic view of conservation, it encompasses an understanding of their original context and significance and an assessment of their value in their original culture. This relates thangkas to the broader theme of conservation of sacred objects originating from another culture, and our relationship with these objects. The thesis explores conservation of thangkas from the different perspectives of the Australian conservation professionals and collectors, and of the contemporary Tibetan Buddhists. It reviews the current attitudes, existing conservation codes of practices and publications about conservation of sacred objects, as well as the existing literature about conservation of thangkas. The thesis states that although thangkas are treated with the highest standards of conservation, their religious aspect is acknowledged but not addressed, in spite of existing concerns in the literature in the last 30 years. The issue is not specific to thangkas, and has been addressed for many sacred objects from pre-colonised cultures; existing frameworks for conservation of sacred objects from Indigenous cultures in Australia, New Zealand, Canada and USA provide useful models that could be adapted to the conservation of thangkas. Conservation of living religious heritage requires flexibility of conservation ethical standards and their adaptation to the needs of the users. This thesis argues that engaging with contemporary cultural groups and including the religious significance of thangkas into the conservation process is part of the mission of conservators. This mission goes beyond the traditional boundaries of conservation to include the development of a respectful dialogue with the users of the objects, in a constant questioning of the social relevance of our profession