Himalayan Art Resources

Exhibition: From the Land of the Gods: Art of the Kathmandu Valley

Rubin Museum of Art
Opening: March 14th to October 13th, 2008


Historically, the kingdoms of the Kathmandu Valley comprised the political, religious, and cultural entity known as Nepal. Located between India and Tibet, the Valley has been the crossroads of trans-Himalayan trade, the shared sacred site of various Himalayan religions, and the epicenter of Himalayan art production and influence. This unique position has fostered a tremendous amount of cultural and religious exchange in Kathmandu, thus establishing a living creative tradition that is one of the single most important influences in Himalayan art history. From the Land of the Gods: Art of the Kathmandu Valley exhibits the finest examples of Nepalese art from the Rubin Museum of Art collection, highlighting the variety of forms and subjects, techniques and media that emerged from the Valley's creative matrix. The exhibition also touches on the main religious traditions of the Kathmandu Valley, Hinduism (Shaiva and Vaishnava) and Buddhism, all of which have been integral in the artistic and culturally rich environment. Spanning more than a thousand years, the artistic legacy of the Kathmandu Valley is alive and celebrated in the objects and ideas presented in From the Land of the Gods: Art of the Kathmandu Valley.

RMA Curator David Pritzker, under the direction of Jeff Watt, Director and Chief Curator, Himalayan Art Resources.