Tibetan tourist thangkas in the Kathmandu Valley

Yael Bentor*

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

26 Scopus citations

Abstract

This case study of Tibetan tourist thangkas in the Kathmandu Valley stresses the historical and cultural background essential for understanding the specific modes of commercialization of sacred art. The specific circumstances under which the tourist thangka market developed led to the existence of an "intermediate audience" located between the "internal" and "external audiences" typical of most tourist markets. This "intermediate audience," while introducing a slight shift of emphasis in the purpose of thangkas, promotes an adherence to tradition which has had an effect even on the tourist outlets. The producers of thangkas for the tourist market in the Kathmandu Valley are predominantly non-Tibetans who stage the authenticity of their paintings.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)107-137
Number of pages31
JournalAnnals of Tourism Research
Volume20
Issue number1
DOIs
StatePublished - 1993

Keywords

  • art touristique
  • bouddhisme tibétain
  • Navajo sandpaintings
  • Nepal
  • Népal
  • peintures de sable navajoes
  • thangka
  • Tibet
  • Tibetan Buddhism
  • tourist art

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