News

A Glossary of Trees in Himalayan Art has been added. More entries and examples will be added.

The Three Trees of the Blue Beryl Charts function as both a detailed outline of the medical text in general as well as a mnemonic device (memory aid) for remembering the order of the chapters and topics.

A Densatil Monastery Chronology Page has been added to the Densatil sculpture section. There are three types of Densatil sculpture created over roughly a three hundred year period: Tashi Gomang Stupa & Sculpture (Densatil Monastery), Other Densatil Sculpture (Densatil Monastery), and Densatil-like Sculpture (Branch & Other Monasteries).

The Stupa Main Page has been updated with additional images and links.

The Vajrayogini Sculpture in a Densatil Monastery style have been grouped together in a unique gallery. There are more examples of the Densatil Vajrayogini which are not as yet on the HAR Website.

The Realm of the Medicine Buddha depicted as the first painting of the Blue Beryl set of compositions has been added as a separate gallery of images on the HAR website.

The scene has the Medicine Buddha at the center of a palace in the middle of a medicinal plant garden. Immediately surrounding the Buddha are Indian gods, rishis and Buddhist monks, including Arya Nagarjuna. These various figures are the legendary and human characters involved with the development and propagation of Indian Aurveda medicine in the 1st millennium of the common era. In the 2nd millennium this transformed again into Tibetan medicine.

The Blue Beryl painting sets main page has been updated with additional images and links.

The Blue Beryl is a 17th century commentary to he 11th century Four Medical Tantras text. The Blue Beryl paintings are a set of 79 educational explanatory compositions created and commissioned by the 3rd Desi Sanggye Gyatso (1653-1705), regent to the 5th Dalai Lama. The first fifteen of the Blue Beryl paintings have a register at the top which presents the four topics of [1] Medicine Buddha, [2] Four Tantras Lineage, [3] Yutog Nyingtig Lineage and the [4] Deities and Protectors of the Yutog Nyingtig. The image here is created by layering the strips of register found at the top of the first fifteen compositions into a single image. The strips have been combined to make it easier to follow the sequence and read the name inscriptions. (Only the first fifteen compositions of the set have a top register).

A masterworks gallery for the 'Black Cloak' Bernagchen Mahakala has been added.

A masterworks gallery for the meditational deity Simhamukha has been added.

A masterworks gallery for the meditational deity and protector Ekajati has been added.

A gallery for the mountain goddess Tashi Tseringma Masterworks has been added.

A gallery for Gold Ground Masterworks has been added.

A gallery for Red Ground Masterworks has been added.

A Gelug Protector Painting Set with seven compositions in total. The primary donor for the set was Purbu Chog. An inscription on the back of the Shri Devi painting gives the names of four donors: Purbu Chog Ngagwang Champa (1682-1762), Lobzang Dargye the 49th Ganden Tripa, Champa Yeshe and Lobzang Trinle (1697-1761). Only three paintings from the set are currently known however the identity of the missing paintings and additional donors are known from the writings of Purbu Chog.

A gallery for Black Ground Masterworks has been added. This is only a small initial selection. More examples will be added.

A gallery for Densatil Sculpture Masterworks has been added. The gallery includes known sculpture having belonged to the Tashi Gomang Stupas along with objects that are in a Densatil style.

The Bases with Legs Sculpture Page has been updated with additional images.

The Densatil Monastery Sculpture Page has been updated with additional images.

Bodies in Balance, The Art of Tibetan Medicine. Rubin Museum of Art. March 15, 2014 - September 8, 2014.

"The first major exhibition to present the origins, history and practice of a millennium of visual history, Bodies in Balance explores the guiding principles of the Tibetan science of healing represented in medical paintings, manuscripts, and medical instruments. A multi-media installation shows how Tibetan medicine is used today. The exhibition invites visitors to relate what they discover to their own lives through interactive experiences within the galleries and throughout the Museum including Café Serai and the shop." (Read the full article).

Also see the Art of Tibetan Medicine on the HAR Website for up to date information and related links.