Tibetan Buddhist Pilgrimage Paintings
Art as commodity was somewhat known in Tibet for the last several hundred years with paintings produced in advance for sale to pilgrims and traders traveling to Tibet from India, Nepal, China and Mongolia. In Tibet the market places of Lhasa and Shigatse appear to be the primary sources for such paintings and objects of general consumption.
Pilgrimage paintings directed towards the Nepalese travelers and traders are generally identified by a black border with a Nepalese or Newar inscription at the bottom of the composition. Unlike typical Tibetan compositions the inscription on paintings for the Nepalese market almost always includes a date, the name of the donor and the individual or special purpose of dedication. The example painting at the left, Sitatapatra, was purchased in 1864 by a loving Nepalese husband to honour the memory of his deceased wife