<strong>Sacred</strong> <strong><strong>Art</strong>s</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Tibet</strong> <strong>Tibet</strong> before and after the Chinese invasion in 1959. Map from Kendra, Judith. <strong>Tibet</strong>ans. Threatened Cultures Series. New York: Thomson Learning, 1993, p. 18. 4 <strong>Asian</strong> <strong>Art</strong> <strong>Museum</strong>
<strong>Sacred</strong> <strong><strong>Art</strong>s</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Tibet</strong> <strong>of</strong> mountain ranges and rocky deserts interspersed with grassy pasture. Rainfall is scarce, although sudden tempests can sweep across the land bringing sand, snow, and hailstorms with winds strong enough to blow a rider <strong>of</strong>f a horse. After such fierce storms it is not unusual for spectacular rainbows to appear, seemingly joining heaven and earth. The average elevation in the north is 16,000 feet, with a wide variation in temperatures caused by strong solar radiation. On a summer’s day the temperature could reach 100 degrees Fahrenheit at noon and plunge to 32 degrees Fahrenheit at night. These conditions make for a distinctive environment. This gives <strong>Tibet</strong>ans a respectful reverence for the power and beauty <strong>of</strong> nature. The bright colors that are characteristic <strong>of</strong> <strong>Tibet</strong>an art bring warmth into this austere setting. Little more than grasses and scrub grow in this region, which is sparsely populated by hardy nomads following herds <strong>of</strong> sheep, goats, and yaks. <strong>Tibet</strong>’s glacial waters are the source <strong>of</strong> most <strong>of</strong> the major rivers in Asia: the Sutlej, Indus, Ganges, Brahmaputra, Salween, Mekong, and Yangtze and Yellow rivers. In <strong>Tibet</strong> itself, the headwaters <strong>of</strong> these rivers nourish the land to the south and east, creating fertile valleys, gentle pasture, and milder environmental conditions. This is where most <strong>of</strong> the arable land lies and where most <strong>of</strong> <strong>Tibet</strong>’s population is concentrated. The elevation is approximately 12,000 feet and the daily temperatures fluctuate only about 40 degrees. Here grow peach, apricot, pear, and walnut trees, along with the crops raised by farmers. To the south are vast forests <strong>of</strong> pine, juniper, aspen, and willow, sheltering rare wild flowers and even grapes. In the far south east <strong>of</strong> <strong>Tibet</strong> are vast rain forests where semi-tropical vegetation flourishes and banana trees are abundant. This far south eastern part <strong>of</strong> <strong>Tibet</strong>, near Laos and Vietnam, is near the tropic <strong>of</strong> Cancer, as far south as Miami and the Bahamas. The wildlife <strong>of</strong> <strong>Tibet</strong> is a fascinating mix <strong>of</strong> the exotic and the everyday. Blue sheep, wild-yak (both unique to <strong>Tibet</strong>), gazelles, antelopes, white-lipped deer, wild asses, foxes, owls, brown bears, snow leopards, black-necked cranes, and the occasional tiger all roam "the ro<strong>of</strong> <strong>of</strong> the world." Most <strong>of</strong> these are now endangered or extinct due to over hunting and habitat destruction by the Chinese since 1959. Even the panda finds its home in the smaller mountain ranges <strong>of</strong> eastern <strong>Tibet</strong>. <strong>Tibet</strong>ans view the wild animals <strong>of</strong> their country as symbols <strong>of</strong> freedom. Until recently they wandered the land in large herds, coming right up to settled areas with little fear <strong>of</strong> humans. Because <strong>of</strong> strong Buddhist influence, hunting wild animals has been seldom practiced by <strong>Tibet</strong>ans, with the exception <strong>of</strong> the nomads in the north where it was sometimes necessary for survival. Now much <strong>of</strong> <strong>Tibet</strong> has been devastated by Chinese policies and depredations. <strong>Tibet</strong> is used as a nuclear dumping ground. Mining for uranium and other minerals has laid waste to many <strong>of</strong> the most beautiful and productive lands in <strong>Tibet</strong>. The vast forests <strong>of</strong> Eastern <strong>Tibet</strong> have been largely cut down to supply the needs <strong>of</strong> the Chinese. The panda and many other rare <strong>Tibet</strong>an species face imminent extinction due to the destruction <strong>of</strong> their habitat. The People <strong>of</strong> <strong>Tibet</strong> The traditional <strong>Tibet</strong>an way <strong>of</strong> life involves a vast range <strong>of</strong> social roles: farmers, nomads, monks and nuns, merchants, artisans, scholars, doctors, engineers, legal experts, and so forth. Merchants traveled throughout Asia from their <strong>Tibet</strong>an homes, bringing salt gathered in the dry lake beds <strong>of</strong> the north, wool from a variety <strong>of</strong> highland sheep and goats, distinctive <strong>Tibet</strong>an carpets and textiles, and objects <strong>of</strong> art and ritual crafted by <strong>Tibet</strong>an artisans skilled in working gold, silver, and bronze with inlays <strong>of</strong> jewels, turquoise, lapis, and coral. However, the greatest export <strong>of</strong> <strong>Tibet</strong>, from ancient times to the present, has always been its intellectual and spiritual treasures. The great monasteries <strong>of</strong> <strong>Tibet</strong> have served, for over a thousand years, as the center <strong>of</strong> learning for the peoples <strong>of</strong> Asia. From India, Nepal, Bhutan, Burma, China, and Mongolia, as well as the Altaic and Uraltic regions <strong>of</strong> Central Asia, schools would send their best students 5 <strong>Asian</strong> <strong>Art</strong> <strong>Museum</strong>