Tibet: Mountains and Valleys, Castles and Tents from the Newark Museum Collection, an exhibition featuring rare artifacts and documentary materials illustrating Tibetan society and history, will be on view at the Williams College Museum of Art (WCMA) from March 1 through August 3, 2003. Drawn from the unrivaled Tibetan collection of the Newark Museum, Tibet: Mountains and Valleys, Castles and Tents explores the country’s culture through objects and ornaments, some dating back to the 13th century, of aristocrats, herders, and traders, as well as film and photographs from the first Western visitors to Tibet in the early 1900s.

“The Newark Museum has one of the finest Tibetan collections in the world, and it is a privilege for the Williams College Museum of Art to host this exhibition that highlights the secular side of Tibetan culture,” says Director Linda Shearer. “It has also provided us with the opportunity to explore Tibetan art and culture in the broadest sense through our programs. I am thrilled at the range of related events we will be offering our visitors, from the making of a sand mandala, to the musical performance by the singers of the Drepung Loseling Monastery, to our Family Week, to a lecture on the art of healing by a Tibetan doctor.”

Exhibition Overview

The exhibition examines two traditional ways of life and their profound impact upon Tibetan society. The first addresses the lifestyle of the aristocracy, with lavishly decorated daily objects and ceremonial ornaments. The second considers the personal belongings and tools of traders, farmers, and herders of Tibet. The exhibition also documents some of the earliest Western visitors to Tibet. Dominating the gallery is a large, colorful ceremonial tent enclosure, and each section of the exhibition features several photomurals, which show Tibetans using and wearing the objects in the exhibition.

The Aristocracy

A noble family’s household possessions reflected the wealth and sophistication of the upper class and included imported precious metal, porcelain, and ivory objects, as well as the finest work from craftsmen throughout Tibet. Artifacts on display include vibrant garments, rugs, furniture, and ceremonial headdresses. The colorful saddle blanket on view features a brilliant red wool center decorated with silk cording, a velvet border, and multi-colored silk fringe. While traveling or during special occasions, portable shrines were carried for devotion and meditation, as well as for spiritual protection. The relic shrine or ga’au was often worn like jewelry by Tibetan men and women. Among the examples on view is the ga’u of a Lhasa noblewoman, which shows the influence of foreign styles.

Farmers, Traders, and Nomads

Tibet: Mountains and Valleys, Castles and Tents also explores the daily life and customs of the farmers in the river valleys, herders in the high meadows, and traders crossing the mountains. Most possessions of Tibetans were made to be portable, like the robust wooden teapot on view. Similar pots were used to serve the “national beverage” of Tibet: a steaming hot black tea, to which salt and butter are added and churned into a frothy soup. On festive occasions, chang, the Tibetan beer of fermented barley, would be served in fine containers, such as the canteen-shaped iron chang jug.

Many objects of everyday life are deeply tied to spirituality and devotion, as Buddhist tenets melded with early beliefs to create a hybrid “popular religion.” The hand prayer wheel would have been used for the personal prayers of a nomad or farmer. By spinning the prayer wheel and chanting mantras, while maintaining the proper visualization and compassionate mind, devout Buddhists work to cleanse their sins and remove obstacles to enlightenment.

Western Visitors to Tibet

The exhibition also examines some of the first Western expeditions to travel to Tibet, including artifacts, a video on the explorations, and photos from expeditions. The earliest images are from a 1903 British military expedition that was led by Colonel Younghusband. Dr. Albert L. Shelton lived in Tibet from 1904-1922, and the items he obtained, many of which appear in the exhibition, became the basis for the Newark Museum’s collection. Because of his credentials as an “American aristocrat,” C. Suydam Cutting was able to meet with government officials and take hundreds of photographs of everyday and aristocratic life from 1930-1937, and this exhibition reproduces several of his images.

Monks’ Residency to Highlight Tibet Programming

WCMA has an extensive schedule of programs related to Tibet: Mountains and Valleys, Castles and Tents. The highlight of the programming is a three-week residency by two monks of the Namgyal Monastery, who will create a medicine Buddha sand mandala in WCMA’s rotunda (April 15-May 3). The mandala construction will culminate with a sand dispersal ceremony on Saturday, May 3. During the residency, on Friday, May 2, Dr. Phutsog Wangmo, an expert in traditional Tibetan medicine, will give a lecture. Programs for families include the Spirit of Tibet Family Week, April 22-25, and Paths to Tibet: Summer Art Camp for Kids Ages 6-9, July 15-18. The complete programming is as follows:

Talk and Book Signing with Georges Dreyfus
Georges Dreyfus, Professor of Religion at Williams College, is the author of The Sound of Two Hands Clapping: The Education of a Tibetan Buddhist Monk
Sunday, March 2, 2 p.m.

The Mystical Arts of Tibet: Sacred Music Sacred Dance for World Healing
Featuring the multiphonic singers of the Drepung Loseling Monastery
Friday, March 7, 8 p.m.
Chapin Hall, Williams College

Great Tibetan Trek: Guided Visits for Grades K-6
Spirit of Tibet: Guided Visits for Grades 6-12
March 11-May 23

Tibetan Treasures: Workshop for Teachers
Friday, March 14
9:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m.

Sacred Art of Tibet: Making a Mandala
Tuesday, April 15-Saturday, May 3

Members’ Tea: The Making of a Mandala
Tuesday, April 15, 4 p.m.

Spirit of Tibet Family Week
April 22-25, 10 a.m.-12 p.m., 1-3 p.m.

Traditional Tibetan Medicine
A Lecture by Dr. Phuntsog Wangmo
Friday, May 2, 5 p.m.

Mandala Sand Dispersal Ceremony
Saturday, May 3, 2 p.m.

Monks and Missionaries, Brigands and Big Game Hunters: American Adventures in Tibet 1900-1937
A Lecture by Valrae Reynolds, Curator of Asian Collections at the Newark Museum
Sunday, July 13, 3 p.m.

Paths to Tibet: Summer Art Camp for Kids Ages 6-9
July 15-18, 10 a.m.-12:30 p.m.

All programs take place at the museum unless otherwise noted.

Press Images Available

High quality, ready-for-print images for this exhibition are available for download on WCMA’s website: http://www.wcma.org/press.

The Williams College Museum of Art is open Tuesday through Saturday, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Sunday, from 1 to 5 p.m. Admission is free and the museum is wheelchair accessible.

Contact: Jonathan Cannon, Public Relations Coordinator
413.597.3178; WCMA@williams.edu