Tibetan Buddhist Sculpture

From: Asian Art Museum
Limited Edition: 61
Exhibition: Tibet! Treasures from the Roof of the World
Material: Printed vinyl
Dimensions: 35" x 72" (88cm x 182cm)

Hanging Hardware Included

Summary

The Buddhist deity, Avalokiteshvara, is known in Tibet as the Lord of Compassion, able to see and relieve all of the world's suffering. What's more, he can take on any form, a valuable skill for making the world a more compassionate place – and a nifty trick for Halloween! But, on these banners, Avalokiteshvara simply takes his own form, that of an eleven-headed figure with one thousand arms. From the exhibition, Tibet! Treasures from the Roof of the World, 61 banners are available featuring this compassionate deity

Description

In the 7th century, king Songtsen Gambo united the Tibetan empire through his marriage to two Buddhist princesses, one from China and one from Nepal. These strong unions with neighboring cultures established Buddhism as the dominant religion in Tibet. Since then the art of Tibet has been known for its stunning images of Buddhist deities. Colorful Tibetan Buddhist devotional paintings, ritual objects and prayer wheels are renowned throughout the world

In addition to these works, sculpture of great beauty and detail was created. These were not just of Buddha, but of a variety of deities. This banner features one such sculpture of the Tibetan Buddhist deity, Avalokiteshvara. With eleven heads, one thousand arms, and a thousand eyes on each hand, he is able to see, and alleviate, all pain and suffering in the world. The name is the Sanskrit for “the lord who looks upon the world with compassion”, and he is considered the embodiment of infinite compassion. The Dalai Lama is believed to be the earthly incarnation of this deity, with undending compassion and love for all living things.

The front of the banner features a sculpture of Avalokiteshvara from the 17th century. The sculpture appears to sit on a stylized white cloud with a background of orange and red swirls. Large grey text simply reads “Tibet”. The museum's logo is included, as is the logo of the exhibition's sponsor, Wells Fargo. The other side of the banner has a background of pink and lavender swirls with the name of the exhibition in grey text, “Treasures from the Roof of the World” and the dates of the exhibition “June 12 - Sept 11“. The museum's logo is shown, as well as its name in orange text, “Asian Art Museum”.

Provenance

These banners were displayed around San Francisco to promote the exhibition, Tibet! Treasures from the Roof of the World at the Asian Art Museum of San Francisco. The exhibition ran from June 12 through September 11, 2005. It was also seen at the Bowers Museum of Cultural Art, Rubin Museum of Art, and the Houston Museum of Natural Science.