As complicated, composite objects, the complete thangka form presents a complex challenge in the spectrum of fakes, forgeries and fabrications. Thangkas are a sacred art form still in active use. Traditional thangkas are created from an unbroken chain of instruction, descending from teacher to student in the conservative cultural and religious traditions of this Himalayan Buddhist art form. Because thangkas are composite objects, the various components of a thangka may or may not be original to each other, as parts are replaced and restored over the years. For example, the textile mountings may have been changed several times in the object’s history. Confusing the issue further, new thangkas using traditional iconography but non-traditional materials or non-traditional iconography with traditional materials and method of manufacture have appeared in the marketplace. In some cases, these thangkas have been made as intentional fakes with the deliberate purpose of deception and profit for the maker and seller. In other cases, these unconventional thangkas are used in the traditional manner. This paper seeks to define the thangka in the context of an evolving cultural tradition.