Raj S. Rangarajan
The Immovable One -- Achala -- Slit Silk (Kesi) Textile Weaving -- Xixia (Tangut), early 13th century (before 1227)
If you are into museums and art and the “Mystic East” now is the time for you to plan a visit of a newly-opened exhibition titled Tibet: Treasures from the Roof of the World. Sponsored by the Rubin Museum of Art (RMA), the show has among its choice treasures items from Tibet’s three premier collections of art: the Potala Palace and the Norbulingka Summer Palace, both residences of Tibet’s rulers for over 300 years, and the Tibet Museum built in 1999.
RMA opened in the Chelsea section of Manhattan, New York last October and is dedicated to the art of the Himalayas. Chief Curator and Director of RMA Caron Smith said, this new showpiece of eastern art will showcase the serene ambience of an ancient culture. Two floors of the museum have been dedicated to Tibet displaying objects used in Tantric Buddhism and several sculptures and scrolls, large paintings and pictorial textiles. It is indeed a tribute to the provenance of the items and painstaking efforts of the collectors where 9th century objects vie for attention with those of early 20th century.
The All Seeing Lord with Eleven Heads and One Thousand Hands
Avalokiteshvara -- Metalwork Tibet, 19th - 20th century, Norbulingka Palace Collection (A 108)
The exhibition has been organized by the Bowers Museum of Cultural Art in Santa Ana, California and many of the artworks have never been seen outside China – a tourist attraction. Some of the objects were given as gifts to revered Buddhist teachers by emperors of China for service as religious advisers during the Yuan, Ming and Qing dynasties (13th-19th century).
An image of the Buddhist deity Achala (The Immovable One) in silk textile pictorial presentation is so finely woven that if not told, one could mistake it to be a painting. The inscription was offered to a teacher of Sakya lineage by a Tangut disciple and the textile is an example of the slit-silk (kesi) weave technique which was common in the 13th century. The art fell victim to Ghengis Khan’s wrath in 1227.
The resourcefulness and versatility of Tibetans are also manifest in their original art created with materials as varied as wood, conch, metal, ivory, turqoise and perhaps coral. A certain tranquillity seems to descend on the scene and the artlover or museum visitor can witness exhibits and read about their history in an unhurried manner – a definite plus. Any observer of Tibetans knows that rituals and order, discipline and organization are keys to their culture and history.
The All-seeing Lord with 11 heads and 1,000 hands – Avalokiteshvara – in metal represents universal compassion. Another 13th century piece – King Songsten Gampo (circa 618-650) was the first religous king of Tibet who promoted Buddhism. Interestingly, he was also known for having married two wives, one from Nepal and the other from China. Another unique piece of Tibetan art is a portrait of of earthly and divine beings in the 15th century bronze of Manjushri Namasangiti that has four arms and wears a crown of leaves adorned with precious jewels that sumbolizes unlimited virtues.
[Raj S. Rangarajan is a New York based freelance writer. He covers trend stories on art, travel and lifestyles and reviews books, films and plays for media based in New York, California, Toronto, India and Australia.]
