The Dragon’s Gift: The Sacred Arts of Bhutan, on view at the Honolulu Academy of Arts from February 26 through May 25, 2008, is a groundbreaking exhibition of rare religious Buddhist art with a special focus on ancient ritual Buddhist dances that continue to be practiced in Bhutan. Organized by the Honolulu Academy of Arts in conjunction with the Department of Culture, a branch of the Ministry of Home and Cultural Affairs of the Royal Government of Bhutan, The Dragon's Gift coincides with 100th anniversary of the founding of the Royal Wangchuck Dynasty and takes place during the first year that the country of Bhutan transforms itself into a democratically elected constitutional monarchy. Five years in the making, it is the first comprehensive exhibition of Bhutanese Buddhist art in the United States.
Bhutan is the only country in the world to adopt Vajrayana, or Tantric Buddhism, as its official religion, and the particular form of Buddhism found in Bhutan permeates all aspects of culture and the arts. Bhutan is remarkable for the antiquity and continuity of its Buddhist teachings, with the first temples in the region established during the seventh century. The arts of the two main branches of Vajrayana Buddhism in Bhutan, the Drukpa Kagyu and the Nyingma schools, will be represented in the exhibition.
Coordinated by Guest Curator Terese Tse Bartholomew (Curator of Himalayan Art at the Asian Art Museum of San Francisco) and Academy Exhibition Coordinator John Johnston, The Dragon’s Gift includes more than 100 exquisite works of art, most of which are on loan from monasteries and private temples. The majority of these works have never been seen by the public in Bhutan, much less outside the country. Due to the sacred nature of the art, monks will accompany The Dragon’s Gift to each venue, and will remain in residence, performing the necessary ritual observances. On view will be two-dimensional thangkas painted in mineral pigments appliquéd in silk, gilt bronze sculptures, and other ritual objects that range from the 8th to the 20th centuries.
As a key part of this project, the Academy’s Asian Paintings Conservation Studio has undertaken a three-year project to train Bhutanese monks in advanced techniques of Himalayan painting conservation. This has involved both workshops and on-site conservation at temples in Bhutan and the training of Bhutanese monks in Honolulu. Consequently, the thangka paintings included in the exhibition will all be responsibly conserved before display and also will be preserved for future generations, as the monks trained by the Academy will use the techniques they have acquired to continue conservation work in their home monasteries.
An extraordinary aspect of the exhibition has been the documentation of ritual dance forms, or cham, by the Honolulu Academy of Arts in conjunction with Core of Culture, a Chicago-based non-profit dance preservation foundation. For the exhibition, an extensive digital database with more than 300 hours of video documentation, including the performances of numerous rare, nearly extinct cham rituals, has been prepared. This unique dance research will play a key role in the exhibition’s conceptual and interpretive structure. Not only will this database be available to the public during the exhibition, but two components of the exhibition will be devoted to dance: a gallery that includes high-definition video screens with footage of actual dances; and an installation of photographs of cham dancers by the renowned artist Herbert Migdall, photographer in residence for Chicago’s Joffrey Ballet. Cham also will be featured through video installations in other galleries, since there is often an intimate connection between dance and the arts in Bhutanese rituals. After the exhibition, one copy of the cham database will be given to the Royal Government of Bhutan, with an additional copy donated to the New York Public Library for the Performing Arts at Lincoln Center, New York, the largest dance archive in the world.
Organization
The exhibition is divided into 12 sections. The sections are organized according to conceptual aspects of Buddhism in Bhutan and will provide viewers with a structure with which to understand the richly symbolic content of Tantric Buddhist art.
Section One: Buddhas
Shakyamuni, the historical founder of Buddhism in the fifth century B.C., is the first image encountered in the exhibition. Paintings depicting his life and previous incarnations complement sculptural representations. Depictions of the five cosmic Buddha Families, such as an elaborate sculpture of Aksobhya, provide a broader definition of Buddhahood.
Section Two: Bodhisattvas
Bodhisattvas, beings who defer their own attainment of complete Buddhahood to assist others on the path to enlightenment, are highly venerated in the Vajrayana Buddhist tradition. This section introduces such popular and revered Bodhisattvas as Manjushri, shown in multiple forms including a sumptuous painted thangka of the White Manjushri, Vajrapani, and Avalokitesvara.
Section Three: Padmasambhava and the Treasure Revealers
Padmasambhava, who spread Buddhism to parts of Bhutan in the eighth century, is an important figure in all forms of Bhutanese Buddhism. This section will illustrate multiple manifestations of Padmasambhava in both peaceful and wrathful forms. It also will include narrative paintings of Padmasambhava’s life story, a variety of sculptures reflecting regional styles, and dance content to illustrate his importance in Bhutan.
Padmasambhava is closely associated with the “Treasure Revealers” of the Nyingma School, particularly in Eastern Bhutan. These Treasure Revealers discovered texts and other religious treasures previously hidden by Padmasambhava centuries after the latter’s death. Portraits of the Treasure Revealers are included in this section of the exhibition.
Section Four: Arhats and Mahasiddhas
This section introduces extraordinary adepts who attained high levels of spiritual insight. The 16 Arhats are represented by an outstanding and complete set of paintings from the 18th century. The Mahasiddhas, Indian sages who employ unconventional means to achieve enlightenment, also are represented in painted thangkas.
Section Five: Zhabdrung Ngawang Namgyel
Zhabdrung Ngawang Namgyel (1594-1651), a charismatic historical figure, was the founder of modern Bhutan. A revered lama, Zhabdrung came to Bhutan from Southern Tibet in 1616. He soon unified the country, established a unique system of governance, and built a series of local fortress–monasteries (dzongs) that still function as centers of political and religious administration. Zhabdrung figures prominently in almost every Buddhist temple in Bhutan. He is represented in both paintings and sculptures.
Section Six: Deity Yoga
A wide variety of spiritual figures comprise the Buddhist pantheon in Bhutan. Many of these deities are the focus of Buddhist ritual practices such as visualizations and mantra chanting. This section introduces these figures, the concepts they represent, and associated practices. Examples include a powerful yab-yum sculpture of Vajrasattva and his consort, representing the feminine wisdom and masculine “skillful means” (upaya) that lead from ignorance to enlightenment.
Section Seven: Guru Yoga
The teacher-disciple relationship is very important in Vajrayana Buddhism. Teachers are regarded as Living Buddhas and impart secret teachings and initiations to their students. Lineages of Buddhist teachers figure prominently in both texts and works of art. Historical figures from both the Drukpa Kagyu and Nyingma traditions, many unique to Bhutan, are represented, with examples in painting, sculpture, and a remarkable embroidered thangka of the important master Je Thrinley Gyaltshen.
Section Eight: Mandala
Perhaps no visual expression of Buddhist thought is as mysterious and attractive to the Western viewer as the mandala. Intricate spiritual diagrams that are considered maps leading to wisdom and spiritual knowledge, mandalas are powerful tools employed in the quest for enlightenment. A variety of painted mandalas will be presented along with references to associated ritual practices.
Section Nine: Ritual Dance (Cham)
Buddhist ritual dances, or cham, will be illustrated both on a series of high-resolution video screens, and in works of art. The Academy’s dance documentation team, under the direction of the Core of Culture Foundation, has spent several years in Bhutan creating a digital archive that documents many previously unknown Buddhist dances. Buddhist dance in Bhutan is both a spiritual practice in itself and a means of communicating Buddhist teachings.
Altar
A gilt repoussé Buddhist altar will be installed in a dedicated gallery as a key adjunct to the exhibition. This altar is based on an example from Trashigang Goempa, an important monastery near Thimphu. The altar will be furnished with a variety of sacred objects as a site for pujas (rituals) conducted by the monks who will accompany the exhibition and to give the viewer a sense of temple interiors in Bhutan.
Catalog
Until now, there has been no authoritative book on Bhutanese Buddhist art. The exhibition catalogue, The Dragon's Gift: The Sacred Arts of Bhutan (Honolulu Academy of Arts/Serindia Press) will set a standard for scholarship in the area of Bhutanese Buddhist art, and perhaps fill in gaps in Himalayan art history. Fully illustrated, the catalogue will include essays on many aspects of Buddhist art and history of Bhutan by American, European, and Bhutanese scholars.
Other venues
Following its debut presentation in Honolulu, the exhibition will travel to:
· The Rubin Museum of Art, New York Sept. 19, 2008-Jan. 5, 2009
·The Asian Art Museum of San Francisco, February-May 2009
This exhibition is organized by the Honolulu Academy of Arts and the Department of Culture, Ministry of Home and Cultural Affairs, Royal Government of Bhutan.
The art conservation, dance preservation, and educational programs of The Dragon’s Gift: The Sacred Arts of Bhutan are made possible through the lead support of The Robert H. N. Ho Family Foundation.
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