L. Kent Wolgamott: A day in the life in Bhutan
Most, if not all, of the objects in “The Daily Arts of Bhutan” are not what traditionally is seen as fine art in the West. Instead, the collection on view at the Lentz Center for Asian Culture is made up of clothing, necklaces and religious ritual objects.
Even when the latter includes imagery, it was designed for personal use.
Three small, flat stones sit in a vitrine, covered with brightly colored paint. Collectively known as Yeshe Gonpo Jamdrel Sum, they are pictures of three Tibetan Buddhist deities believed to be protectors of Bhutan, a tiny Himalayan nation, south of Tibet and surrounded on the south and east by India.
Those protectors are a raven-headed form of Mahakala, a four-armed Mahakala with his consort — symbolizing the Buddhist belief in the union of wisdom and compassion and Palden Lhamo, the female protector of the Dharma (the teachings of the Buddha and the masters who followed him).
That connection with Tibetan Buddhism can be seen throughout the selection of objects taken from the collection of Kay Kirby Dorji, a Lincoln native, University of Nebraska-Lincoln alumna and part-time resident of Bhutan. Dorji collected the objects over a period of 20 years and donated them to the Lentz Center in 2005 and 2006.
One of the necklaces on display, for example, was originally presented as a gift to His Holiness the Dalai Lama. Made of DZi stones (thought to be ancient etched amber with protective qualities, the necklace also includes amber, turquoise, coral and silver. Hanging from it is a gau, or small reliquary, usually carried while traveling made of silver with inlaid jade and turquoise.
Less ornate gaus are on display as are cups used by high lamas (or teachers), a hollowed- out boar’s tooth used to carry prayers and a five-leaf painted wooden crown worn by lamas during some rituals. But the most instantly eye-catching and mind-stopping of the ritual objects on view is a trumpet made out of a human thigh bone.
Created in the late 19th or early 20th century, the sawed-off bone trumpet adorned with white metal and leather, called a kangling, is designed to emphasize the need for Buddhists not to cling to their bodies and ego.
There are also a number of textiles on view — including robes worn by men, called Gho, and rectangular wooden cloths wound around the body by women, called kira. There are also belts, bags and an old hat on view, displaying something of daily wear in very traditional Bhutan.
The most eye-catching likely will be a kushung, or poncho, that has a series of swastikas across the top of the fabric. To modern Western eyes, the swastika is an abhorred symbol of Nazi Germany — a design that is now used only to provoke and enrage.
In the Himalayan Buddhist cultures, however, the swastika is an enduring auspicious sign, conveying the opposite meaning of the Nazi symbol. The kushung also includes repeated imagery of torma, the butter-based “cakes” used in Tibetan Buddhist rituals.
Finally, the exhibition includes practical personal items, from a smoothly turned wooden bowl used to hold tsampa, the roasted barley flour that is a staple in the Himalayan diet, to elephant-ivory cups and a pair of swords, one used by aristocrats, a smaller model by soldiers.
“The Daily Arts of Bhutan” is accompanied by a small, informative, image-filled catalog written by Lentz director Barbara Banks, who curated the exhibition along with Dorji.
Dorji’s collection has added significantly to the Lentz Center collection, which, as its title implies goes beyond “art” to cover culture. “The Daily Arts of Bhutan” is a perfect illustration of the center’s cultural orientation and a fascinating glimpse into life in Bhutan.
Reach L. Kent Wolgamott at 473-7244 or kwolgamott@journalstar.com.
Even when the latter includes imagery, it was designed for personal use.
Three small, flat stones sit in a vitrine, covered with brightly colored paint. Collectively known as Yeshe Gonpo Jamdrel Sum, they are pictures of three Tibetan Buddhist deities believed to be protectors of Bhutan, a tiny Himalayan nation, south of Tibet and surrounded on the south and east by India.
Those protectors are a raven-headed form of Mahakala, a four-armed Mahakala with his consort — symbolizing the Buddhist belief in the union of wisdom and compassion and Palden Lhamo, the female protector of the Dharma (the teachings of the Buddha and the masters who followed him).
That connection with Tibetan Buddhism can be seen throughout the selection of objects taken from the collection of Kay Kirby Dorji, a Lincoln native, University of Nebraska-Lincoln alumna and part-time resident of Bhutan. Dorji collected the objects over a period of 20 years and donated them to the Lentz Center in 2005 and 2006.
One of the necklaces on display, for example, was originally presented as a gift to His Holiness the Dalai Lama. Made of DZi stones (thought to be ancient etched amber with protective qualities, the necklace also includes amber, turquoise, coral and silver. Hanging from it is a gau, or small reliquary, usually carried while traveling made of silver with inlaid jade and turquoise.
Less ornate gaus are on display as are cups used by high lamas (or teachers), a hollowed- out boar’s tooth used to carry prayers and a five-leaf painted wooden crown worn by lamas during some rituals. But the most instantly eye-catching and mind-stopping of the ritual objects on view is a trumpet made out of a human thigh bone.
Created in the late 19th or early 20th century, the sawed-off bone trumpet adorned with white metal and leather, called a kangling, is designed to emphasize the need for Buddhists not to cling to their bodies and ego.
There are also a number of textiles on view — including robes worn by men, called Gho, and rectangular wooden cloths wound around the body by women, called kira. There are also belts, bags and an old hat on view, displaying something of daily wear in very traditional Bhutan.
The most eye-catching likely will be a kushung, or poncho, that has a series of swastikas across the top of the fabric. To modern Western eyes, the swastika is an abhorred symbol of Nazi Germany — a design that is now used only to provoke and enrage.
In the Himalayan Buddhist cultures, however, the swastika is an enduring auspicious sign, conveying the opposite meaning of the Nazi symbol. The kushung also includes repeated imagery of torma, the butter-based “cakes” used in Tibetan Buddhist rituals.
Finally, the exhibition includes practical personal items, from a smoothly turned wooden bowl used to hold tsampa, the roasted barley flour that is a staple in the Himalayan diet, to elephant-ivory cups and a pair of swords, one used by aristocrats, a smaller model by soldiers.
“The Daily Arts of Bhutan” is accompanied by a small, informative, image-filled catalog written by Lentz director Barbara Banks, who curated the exhibition along with Dorji.
Dorji’s collection has added significantly to the Lentz Center collection, which, as its title implies goes beyond “art” to cover culture. “The Daily Arts of Bhutan” is a perfect illustration of the center’s cultural orientation and a fascinating glimpse into life in Bhutan.
Reach L. Kent Wolgamott at 473-7244 or kwolgamott@journalstar.com.
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