ISA/IKGA International Guest Lecture: Shawo Khacham
Since the 2002 discovery of Tibetan coffin paintings at Xiadatu, Guolimu, Qinghai province, a growing number of painted coffin panels have been found in the province over recent years. If we base our research on the time-space relationship and their cultural aspects, most of them belong to two different periods, the pre-Tibetan and the Tibetan period. This paper will focus on the Tibetan period painted coffins and the themes represented in them as follows: tent (yurt), amorous scenes, and face painting. My research concludes that the tent is not only a resting place for those who are attending funeral ceremonies, but also the place for the corpse and spirit of the deceased person. This comes from early beliefs. The amorous scenes are possibly a ritual way of praying for rebirth and reincarnation of the deceased. These motifs are also seen in Central Asia and the Silk Roads. This could be connected to the place of origin of the leading funeral practitioner. The face painting shown on many figures in the scenes on the painted coffins, was used specifically for mourning rituals. lt possibly also has a symbolic meaning connected to the concept of ,life musk', which differs significantly from ordinary makeup.
Shawo Khacham is a Professor at the Tibetology Centre of Tibet University in Lhasa. He has published 60 papers in both Tibetan and Chinese. He is the author of "Archaeological Studies of Tibetan Pillars" (in Tibetan, 2020) and "The Archaeological Discovery of Tibetan Tombs" (in Chinese, in press), and is currently a visiting scholar at the Oriential Institute, Oxford.