Ganesha (11th century, Madhya Pradesh, India), sandstone, part of the ‘Honoring Nepal’ installation at the Rubin Museum of Art (all photos by the author for Hyperallergic)
Coins on Ganesha (11th century, Madhya Pradesh, India), sandstone (click to enlarge)
An 11th-century sandstone Ganesha rests in one niche, with visitors this morning placing coins in his hands and a dollar bill in the curl of his trunk. Nearby, smaller gilt copper alloy sculptures include an elegant rendering of Maitreya, the One of Loving Kindness, from the 15th-16th century, and a 19th-century donor figure kneeling in prayer. There are also 19th-century paintings on cloth, a towering 13th-century stupa adorned with semi-precious stones, and a 17th-century wood carving from the Kathmandu Valley of Apsara holding a garland aloft. That area was especially hard hit by the 7.8-magnitude earthquake, and without contrasting the beautiful works on display to current photographs of rubble, the Rubin evokes the rich cultural heritage in peril through these examples of its history in Buddhist and Hindu art.
In the galleries, the Rubin is highlighting Nepalese art and artifacts with the label “#HonorNepal,” which it is also using on social media to promote Nepal’s cultural significance. For example, the exhibition Becoming Another: The Power of Masks features a shamanistic mask dating to the 19th-20th century from Nepal. Through the museum’s online Honoring Nepal site, vetted organizations are listed that are on the ground in the South Asian country offering help to its communities. Additional programming includes biweekly education tours and evening events each Wednesday. This week’s events include a free concert with sarangi player Shyam Nepali and madal player Raj Kapoor, both members of the Nepali cultural community. Finally, the Rubin is offering a large discount for renting its facility to any relief organizations interested in hosting benefits.
Installation view of ‘Honoring Nepal’ at the Rubin Museum of Art
Maitreya, the One of Loving Kindness (15th-16th century, Nepal), gilt copper alloy
Stupa (13th century, Tibet), copper alloy with semiprecious-stone inlay
Installation view of ‘Honoring Nepal’ at the Rubin Museum of Art
Garland-bearing Apsara (17th century, Kathmandu Valley, Nepal), wood
At left: Donor figure (19th century, Nepal), gilt copper alloy; at right: Offering goddess (10th-13th century, Nepal), copper
Installation view of ‘Honoring Nepal’ at the Rubin Museum of Art
Torana (17th century, Nepal), wood
Installation view of ‘Honoring Nepal’ at the Rubin Museum of Art
