Source: Google News
Wire Service: AFP
http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5gFvI6WZp26dl6-Zn1ArEzrhlvoyQ
A complete Tibetan Buddhist shrine room, including a silver Buddha, gem-encrusted adornments and silk scroll paintings, goes on display for the first time in Washington on Saturday.
The shrine room has been set up in a religiously accurate manner with ritual implements, including some blessed by the Dalai Lama, and a shrine loaned by a private collector to the Arthur M. Sackler Gallery.
"The experience of entering the room is really quite profound and moving," said Debra Diamond, curator of South and Southeast Asian Art at the Freer and Sackler galleries in the US capital.
"You have a sense of a powerful presence. It's an aesthetic experience."
The exhibit features beautifully decorated pieces, including a gilded bronze statue of the goddess Tara with a gem-encrusted crown, sacred musical instruments and multiple Buddha statues adorned with seashell and coral pieces.