Visual expressions of Buddhism from Bhutan on view in the exhibition include painted and textile thangkas, sculptures, and ritual items. Works of art date from the 8th century to the 20th century, with especially strong examples of painting and sculpture from the 17th through the 19th centuries, a golden age in the Buddhist art of Bhutan. Works in The Dragon’s Gift were selected for outstanding aesthetic accomplishment and wide iconographic scope. Nearly all of the items in the exhibition required conservation. The Academy-led conservation program has already restored hundreds of works of art and is training a new generation of conservators, primarily monks charged with the responsibility of caring for sacred objects.
Buddhist ritual dances, or cham, are an important part of the exhibition and will be illustrated by works of art with dance content as well as video presented on high-resolution screens. An entire gallery within the exhibition explores the rich sacred dance traditions in Bhutan. The dance team has spent several years in Bhutan creating a digital archive that documents many hitherto unknown Buddhist dances. As with visual art, dance is both a spiritual practice in itself and a means of communicating Buddhist teachings.
Working together with the Department of Culture of the Royal Government of Bhutan and the Central Monastic Authority, the Honolulu Academy of Arts has been given unprecedented access to the sacred arts and dances of the country during an extensive five-year research program. We are honored and humbled to present the results of this work through the The Dragon’s Gift: The Sacred Arts of Bhutan.