Gateway to Himalayan Art

The Buddha, meaning awakened person, referred first to Shakyamuni, whose teachings became the foundation of Buddhism.

Bodhisattvas aspire to become awakened like the Buddha and are dedicated to helping others achieve enlightenment.

Tantric deities are the focus of esoteric religious practices (tantras) that aim to swiftly and radically transform a practitioner’s conventional understanding of reality.

Female tantric deities symbolize the wisdom aspect of the enlightened mind and and they can be peaceful or wrathful in appearance.

There are two kinds of deities that appear as wrathful, with flaming hair, bulging eyes, open mouths showing fangs, and garlands of severed heads.

Buddhist and Hindu traditions spread side by side in the same communities in India and Nepal, and some of the deities in the two religions are associated with similar myths.

Various religious practices now collectively called Hinduism worship a diverse group of gods (deva) and goddesses (devi).

Legendary and historical humans, including teachers and accomplished masters, are a popular subject of Himalayan art.

Unfired clay remains the most commonly used material for sculpture in the Himalayas, from large statues to small tsatsas.

Stone and wood are used by artisans to create three-dimensional images in Himalayan cultural regions.

The invention of printing can be directly connected to Buddhism and the need to reproduce religious texts and simple pictures of the Buddha.

Paper was used widely as a media for copying Buddhist texts and image making.

Painting is the primary two-dimensional form for image making, but different media, such as woodblock prints and woven textiles, are also used to create similar compositions.

Metal has become the predominate medium for producing religious sculpture in the Himalayas, primarily by way of hollow or lost wax casting and embossing.

Ritual informs the structure of religious life in the Himalayas, defining the daily routine of practitioners and shaping a range of community-based activities.

In Himalayan cultures religious merit is the overarching reason for creating, commissioning, dedicating, and using religious works of art.

Religious rituals and the commissioning of art can serve everyday secular needs, the most common being wealth, health, and long life.

Tantric practitioners strive to transform themselves by using meditative and ritual tools with the ultimate goal of enlightenment or awakening.

Many Himalayan paintings serve as illustrations and instructional tools that bring forth stories about the Buddha, Tibetan masters, and more.

Instructive paintings can illustrate religious doctrines, medical and astrological charts, or images of ritual implements and meditative postures.

Experience a sacred space similar to what could be found in a Tibetan household where religious objects are displayed and used in ritual and devotional practices.