Casting the Divine

Sculptures of the Nyingjei Lam Collection

March 2, 2012 - July 30, 2012

Tangtong Gyalpo; Tibet; second half of the 15th century; Copper alloy with pigment; Long term loan of the Nyingjei Lam Collection; L2005.9.63 (HAR 68496)

Shortly after its opening in 2004, the Rubin Museum of Art received a long-term loan of more than one hundred works of art known as the Nyingjei Lam Collection. This collection abounds in exquisite sculpture from the Himalayas and the regions immediately to the south, including works in metal, stone, and bone that have stunning details, inlays of precious materials, and fine inscriptions. These objects invite the viewer to look closely, compare, and enjoy. 

Works from the Nyingjei Lam Collection have enriched many of the exhibitions organized from the museum, but this exhibition presents the collection as a whole for the first and only time. Every collection has a distinct character that reflects both the taste and connoisseurship of the collector and the history of the collection. This exhibition has been conceived to emphasize the strengths of the Nyingjei Lam Collection. Its name translates to "Paths of Compassion," and its loan to the Rubin Museum is an act of deep generosity. 

The exhibition is accompanied by a catalog, The Sculptural Heritage of Tibet: Buddhist Art in the Nyingjei Lam Collection, by David Weldon and Jane Casey Singer. It was published in 1999 by Laurence King Publishing, an imprint of Calmann & King Ltd.

Curated by Christian Luczanits

Exhibition Resources