A thangka that is too small gets lost on a wall; one that is too large crowds a room. This guide explains how we measure, which sizes suit which walls, and what framing or brocade adds.
How we measure
Every size on our site is the whole painting, including its painted border, width × height. The painting is hand-painted on canvas, so allow 1–2 cm either way. If a piece is already mounted in silk brocade, its page gives both the painting's size and the overall size.
Which size for which wall?
| Long side | Good for | Share of our paintings |
|---|---|---|
| Up to 45 cm (18 in) | A shelf, a desk, a small shrine or a narrow wall; often framed | 2% |
| 46–65 cm (18–26 in) | A meditation corner, a bedroom or a study | 28% |
| 66–85 cm (26–33 in) | Most living-room walls, above a console or a desk | 50% |
| 86–110 cm (34–43 in) | A statement piece above a sofa or a bed | 18% |
| Over 110 cm (43 in) | Large walls, halls and shrine rooms | 2% |
Every painting page includes a view to scale on a living-room wall, above a sofa about 210 cm (83 in) wide, so you can compare sizes at a glance.
Measuring your wall
- Measure the space, and the furniture under it.
- Above a sofa or a bed, a single thangka looks balanced at about a third to a half of the furniture's width. Over a 210 cm sofa, that is a painting roughly 70–100 cm wide.
- Height: hang it with its centre at about 145–150 cm (57–59 in) from the floor, or its bottom edge 15–25 cm above the furniture.
- Try it first: cut paper or tape a rectangle of the painting's size on the wall and live with it for a day.
Framing and brocade
- Unmounted: how our paintings arrive, rolled in a tube. You can hang one as it is.
- Framed under glass: a mat and frame usually add 10–20 cm to each dimension. Glass protects the paint from dust and touch.
- Traditional silk brocade: the brocade borders, top stick and bottom roller roughly double the size. A painting of 45 × 60 cm becomes about 95 × 125 cm overall. Check the wall for the overall size, not just the painting's.
Inches and centimetres
| cm | 30 | 45 | 55 | 60 | 75 | 85 | 100 | 120 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| in | 11.8 | 17.7 | 21.7 | 23.6 | 29.5 | 33.5 | 39.4 | 47.2 |
Not sure which size suits your room? Send us a photo of the wall and its measurements, and we'll suggest a few pieces. Write to us: we reply within 24 hours. And if a painting turns out wrong for the wall, you have 30 days from delivery to return it.
