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Masks of Himalayan Range and Central Asia
| Content Provider | IGNCA - Man and Mask |
|---|---|
| Description | Following the Himalayan range from Ladakh in India through Nepal, Bhutan, Tibet , Sikkim, the Darjeeling region of West Bengal, Arunachal Pradesh and then Westward through Mongolia into Siberia, one finds a mask culture based on a fusion of shamanic practices and animism (sometimes referred to as Bonpo) with the Vajrayana strand of Tantric Buddhism first developed in this area in encounters with the remarkable Buddhist monk Padmasambhava in the early 9th Century AD and carried into the outer reaches of Mongolia by the early 19th Century AD. Variants of the Cham ceremony that celebrates the arrival of Padmasambhava are to found throughout this region and have provided rich arenas for masking. Thus, in Tibet, Sikkim, Bhutan, Nepal, Ladakh, and the Darjeeling region of West Bengal (as well as in related traditions now found in Mongolia and parts of Siberia) seasonal performances by the lamas of Buddhist monasteries feature horrific masks of Yama and his deathly cohorts, ferocious Bodhisattvas with the power of conquering or containing the forces of death and disease, and comic old monks. Used in ceremonies that bring together lamas and the laity, these masks both embody and serve as a means of transcending projections of human fear, hatred, anger, and desire.Other masked traditions coexist with the Cham throughout the region. |
| Access Restriction | Open |
| Subject Keyword | Ancient Human Practice Anthropology Anthropomorphic Art Work Art History Arunachal Pradesh Bhairav Bhutan Bonpo Buddhist Central Asia Ceremonies and Practices Decorative Mask Disguise Drama Theraphy Gurung India Kathmandu Valley Ladakh Lamho Magar Mongolia Museum Object Nepal Ornamentation Padmasambhava Patan Performance Performing Art Ritual Mask Sculpture Siberia Sikkim Tantric Buddhism Terai Tibet West Bengal Yama |
| Content Type | Image Text |
| Resource Type | Visual Artwork |
