Tibetan art culture has a history of more than 5,000 years, but the practice and depiction of Tibetan Buddhism has had by far the greatest influence on this culture. The development of Tibetan culture and art went through four stages: prehistoric civilization before the 7th century; cultural stability during the Tubo Kingdom; high development during the Yuan Dynasty; and the height of cultural achievement attained during the Qing Dynasty.
Tibetan art and architecture design have been almost entirely religious in its character. The art of Tibetan Lamaism retains strong elements drawn from the forms of both Hinduism and Buddhism in India and Nepal, and was later influenced by the arts of China.