The Himalayan kingdom of Bhutan has many vibrant living artistic traditions famous for their masks, textiles, sculptures, and paintings.
The Himalayan kingdom of Bhutan has many vibrant living artistic traditions famous for their masks, textiles, sculptures, and paintings.
The earliest Buddhist temples in Bhutan are contemporaneous with the introduction of Buddhism in Tibet. Historically close links with Tibetan religious centers, especially from the mid-seventeenth century onward, have complicated distinguishing Bhutanese art from Tibetan art on stylistic grounds alone. Barring inscriptions, most Bhutanese objects are identified by the distinctive appearance of Bhutanese religious masters.
Select each work to learn more.
Bhutan
c. 19th century
This expressive monkey mask is typical of Bhutanese masks used in the yearly monastic festival dances such as the judgment of the dead (Raksha Mang Cham). This dance drama has an educational purpose, teaching the laws of cause and effect (karma) by presenting the judgment by Yama, the Lord of Death, of a sinner (such as a hunter) versus a pious man. The monkey counts out white and black stones, symbolic of the individual’s good and bad deeds, and puts them on a scale. Such communal rituals also reaffirmed group identity.
The peg on top of this mask was used to attach strips of colored textiles as a decorative flourish and to cover the back of the wearer’s head, completing the dancer’s transformation.
Get the latest news and stories from the Rubin, plus occasional information on how to support our work.