Initiative aims to preserve authenticity, artist identity, and global recognition for traditional Thangka and Paubha works
KATHMANDU, AUGUST 14
The Himalayan Art Council (HAC) has introduced a secure digital certification system designed to protect centuries-old traditions of Himalayan art, particularly sacred Thangka and Paubha paintings. The initiative seeks to preserve artistic legacies, ensure authenticity, and raise the international value of Nepali art.
HAC's approach combines physical and digital certification, rigorous provenance verification, and detailed archiving of artists' stories and works. The process begins with artists or collectors submitting comprehensive information about the artwork, which is cross-verified between parties and reviewed by a third party. Certified works receive an immutable digital record alongside a hard copy for archival purposes.
For deceased artists, HAC provides timestamped documentation to acknowledge historical significance, addressing the urgent need for timely recordkeeping to prevent loss of provenance details.
The system also assigns each certified artwork a unique digital footprint, discouraging forgery and ensuring ownership clarity. Artist identities - including lineage and personal narratives - are securely recorded, safeguarding recognition in a tradition where works are often unsigned.
HAC's certification follows international museum and archive standards, including the Spectrum Standard, CIDOC CRM, and Dublin Core metadata framework, enabling global verification by collectors and cultural institutions. The system also supports artists financially by enabling secondary sales tracking, allowing artists or their families to receive royalties.
To date, HAC has collaborated with 50 leading Nepali Thangka and Paubha artists, certifying 54 artworks on a private platform accessible to artists and collectors, with plans to expand access to galleries, museums, and cultural institutions.
HAC notes that despite their quality, Nepali artworks are often undervalued internationally compared to similar works from India, China, or Tibet due to a lack of trusted provenance records. The new certification system aims to address this gap, enhancing both trust and market value.
Unlike other digital art authentication solutions, HAC's certificates are designed for traditional, physical artworks, are human-readable without special tools, and respect artist and collector privacy. By blending proven cryptographic ledger technology with cultural preservation, HAC hopes to secure the artistic, spiritual, historical, and cultural significance of Himalayan art for future generations.
