ARTDAILY
 |
| Panjaranatha Mahakala; Tibet; 14th century; steatite with color and gilding; 7 x 4 1/2 x 1 1/2 in. (17.8 x 11.4 x 3.8 cm); The Metropolitan Museum of Art; gift of Florence and Herbert Irving, 2015; 2015.500.4.18. |
NEW YORK, NY.- Religion has influenced and empowered countless political leaders throughout history, and Tibetan Buddhism is no exception. “
Faith and Empire: Art and Politics in Tibetan Buddhism” is the first exhibition of its kind to explore Tibetan Buddhism’s dynamic political role in the empires of Asia from the 7th to the early 20th century. The exhibition places Himalayan art in a larger global context and sheds light on a little-known aspect of Tibetan Buddhism related to power, one that may run counter to popular perceptions yet is critical to understanding its importance on the world stage. Tibetan Buddhism offered a divine means to power and legitimacy to rule, with images serving as a means of political propagation and embodiments of power. [
More]
 |
| Book Covers for the Bhadrakalpika with the Eight Auspicious Symbols, from the Yongle Edition of the Kangyur; China; Ming dynasty, Yongle period (1403–1424), ca. 1410; red lacquer with incised decoration inlaid with gold (qiangjin); 28 1/2 x 10 1/2 in. (72.4 x 26.7 cm); The Metropolitan Museum of Art; gift of Florence and Herbert Irving, 2015; 2015.500.1.52a,b |
