Learn the art of Tibetan calligraphy in Italy

Illustrated construction of hum in both Uchen and Umed script styles.

This is the first time Tashi Mannox instructs Tibetan calligraphy in Italy. Two intensive weekend courses in two beautiful locations of Venice and Merigar West in Tuscany.

The first workshop in Venice covers how to write the classical Uchen script to the correct traditional proportions that will lay a firm foundation in confidently writing elegant calligraphy.

The second workshop a week later in Tuscany teaches how to write the Tsugtung style of the Umed script category. This course is more suited to those with some knowledge of the Tibetan written language.  

The calligraphy course venue in Venice is the large building on the right. 

Uchen calligraphy course in Venice.

The course will be in English and if necessary it will be translated into Italian. 

Date:    Friday 20th November 8-9.30 PM (presentation) Free entrance (free offer appreciated)

Saturday 21st November 10AM - 6 PM (lunch included)

Sunday 22nd November10AM - 5 PM (lunch included)

Rates:  €150 including coffee / tea breaks with biscuits snacks drinks and fruit inside You can book the excellent vegetarian lunch it costs €15.

€250 if attending both workshops, in Venice (Uchen) and Merigar (Umed).

Location: 143 S.Croce, Fondamenta Minotto, Rio del Gaffaro (very near to Fondamenta dei Tolentini) within walking distance from Piazzale Roma (bus terminus) and from S.Lucia Venice train station.     

Info and registration: call Giovanna phone 0039 3460291778  or Yesan phone 0039 3200758117  or send an email at:  courses@shangshunginstitute.org   giovannacarraro@gmail.com

For more details and direct bookings, please visit the main website here.

Equipment to bring: An A4 pad of good quality water colour paper, a rule, pencil and sharpener, eraser and calligraphy ink pens of different sizes. Italic felt-tip calligraphy pens are recommended or the more advanced Pilot Parallel Pens. 

Accomodation Facilities: besides recommended Hotels and B&B in Venice, there will be the possibility of sleeping, booking in the meditation room at the meditation centre Kagiusamyedzong in Venice located in Fondamenta dei Tolentini, the room can take maximum 6 people sleeping bags are requested and a minimum offer of €15 / night is recommended. http://www.kagyu.it/

Examples of the Drutsa, Uchen and Tsugring script styles.

Umed calligraphy in Tuscany.

The course will be in English and if necessary it will be translated into Italian. 

Date:    Friday 28th November 20:00 - 21:30 PM (presentation) Free entrance !

Saturday 29th November 10AM - 6 PM (lunch included)

Sunday 30th November 10AM - 5 PM (lunch included)

Rates:  €150 including coffee / tea breaks with biscuits snacks drinks and fruit inside You can book the excellent vegetarian lunch it costs €15.

€250 if attending both workshops, in Venice (Uchen) and Merigar (Umed).

Location: Merigar, 58031 Arcidosso, Grosseto, Tuscany.   

Info and registration: call Yesan phone 0039 3200758117  or send an email at:  courses@shangshunginstitute.org 

For more details and direct bookings, please visit the main website here.

Equipment to bring: An A4 pad of good quality water colour paper, a rule, pencil and sharpener, eraser and calligraphy ink pens of different sizes. Italic felt-tip calligraphy pens are recommended or the more advanced Pilot Parallel Pens. 

Accomodation Facilities: Merigar offers plenty of accommodation types to its visitors. you can choose from a list of budget to upper class solutions by visiting the website here.

Calligraphy in Wood

All across Asia, calligraphy carved into wood is traditionally used to prominently display building names, placed above doorways of temples, palaces and shops. 

The natural grain and figure of wood makes a beautiful natural ground for fine calligraphy, a match made in heaven, or painted in the classical combination of lapis blue with gilt gold letters carved in relief, such as the above sign that sits pride of place over the main entrance of the Lama temple in Beijing. 

Also common on temples in Tibet, this sign gives the name "The blessed place of tushita heavenly joy" typically in three languages: Mongolian, Tibetan and Chinese. 

In contrast is the below sign is from a Japanese sweet store that reads "Forever Happiness"

A contemporary combination of natural wood and calligraphy has been artfully explored by Vermont based Tim Brookes, who runs the worthy 'Endangered Alphabets Project'. 

Tim recently contacted Tashi to carve his Tibetan calligraphy in wood, an on-going project that in time will boast a number of hand carved master pieces, which are intended to raise funds toward Rokpa International that has many projects in the Tibetan homeland, such as the preservation and education of the Tibetan language.

Above, "Moon over Water" is a piece created by Tim Brookes using calligraphy by Tashi Mannox, the top left ideograph is the word moon the Tibetan Drutsa script. Below right is a Wartu Sanskrit monogram of two words Eh and Vam. for a greater explanation of Eh-Vam, please follow the link here.

Here below is another wood carving shown though the process of creation by the skilful hand of Tim Brookers, once again using a Tashi calligraphy as the subject. The words "Graceful Kindness"arranged as a circular design is also a popular tattoo design and available  as a high resolution down-load.

The below image shows the Tibetan syllable hum, that was hand carved by another artist Mel Du Pontet, in a piece of English Yew wood some 20 years ago. The piece has aged a beautiful rich colour. A piece of Boltic amber fills a knot hole that incorporates part of the syllable, this is the ma sound that represents the sun, below which is a crescent moon,  both symbols are part of the whole character that has been gilded in real gold leaf. Here