Summary
In the7th century, the Tibetans began to dominate a broad territory that extended across the Qinghai-Tibet plateau. It was suggested that some ideas and practices of their indigenous Bon religion were acquired from western Tibet, which was once inhabited by Iranian tribes. But, most likely, the Tibetans acquired many traditions and customs from the Western Turks, who were also appointed as their ministers. Recent material from Qinghai and Gansu Provinces, namely textiles and metal objects, show a combination of Sino-Iranian elements, used in a Turko-Tibetan environment. Eventually, by converting to Buddhism, the Tibetans acquired an educational system and a cosmopolitan status.
Through a comparative analysis of objects of art, this lecture discusses the creation, development, and patronage of early Tibetan aesthetics between the7th and9th centuries.
