photograph and copyright manfredi bellati
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Treviso: Casa dei Carraresi - Tibet, Treasures
from the Roof of the World. The Tibet, Treasures from the Roof of the World exhibition is on show at the Casa dei Carraresi in Treviso. More than three hundred pieces of
Tibetan artwork and objects are on view until June 2, 2013. Curated by
China scholar Adriano Màdaro, this historic event marks the first time that
these objects are exhibited abroad. The
exhibition is divided into five thematic sections it includes geographical maps
and documents, masks worn by Tibetan monks, traditional clothing and jewelry,
and votive statues and objects carved from human bones. Visitors have the unique opportunity to
admire Tibetan artwork and artifacts spanning historical periods.
Above. Yamantaka, Destroyer of the
Lord of Death. In the crowded pantheon of Tibetan Tantric Buddhism one of the
most popular divinities, and one particularly venerated by the Yellow Hat Sect
(to which the Dalai Lamas and Panchen Lamas belong), is the monstrous
Yamantaka. Known as Dorje Jigie in
Tibetan, it is regarded as the angry manifestation of Manjushri, the
Bodhisattva of Wisdom, one of the four protectors of Tibet. The name means
“Destroyer of Yama” (Lord of Death), and the figure is represented in blue with
eight heads, one of which is the monstrous head of a bull; the figure wears a
necklace and belt of human skulls. The
terrifying appearance is completed by thirty-four arms carrying sinister
objects and by sixteen feet trampling eight Hindu divinities, eight birds and
eight mammals. His appearance does not
inspire horror and seen by devoted Tibetans as a familiar, reassuring figure
who will not defeat death but diminish their fear of death by dominating it.
Tibet – Vertical Flags. A detail of vertical
Flags, traditional decoration at the entrance of Buddhist temples invoking good
fortune. Gift of the fourteenth Dalai Lama to the central government.
Curator of the exhibition, China scholar Adriano
Màdaro. He is photographed beside “Spirit of the Air” flags, which have special
protective and beneficial powers. They are decorated with mantras in the
Tibetan language and images of Sakyamuni or of the “horse of the wind”
(representing the breath of life). They
are flown from the roofs of houses, from piles of “mani” stones, or from the
branches of trees. The flags fluttering
in the wind symbolize the recitation of a prayer. Sewn together into strips sometimes hundred
meters long, the tarchong fly from poles on sacred buildings creating an
atmosphere both festive and meditative.
Tibet – Buddha Sakyamuni. Sakyamuni was the original name of the historical
Buddha, the prince Siddharta (565-485B.C.) of the Gautama family, which at the
time ruled the Indian state of Sakya.
He was the founder of Buddishm.
Tibet – Buddha Amitayus. The Buddha of longevity thanks to the quality of
wisdom. The hands are held in an
attitude of meditation and hold a vase containing the nectar of
immortality. The statues of Amitayus are
often clothed in the robes of a Bodhisattva with the crown.
Tibet - Avalokitesvara. Avalokitesvara is the most important of the four
protector Bodhisattvas of Tibet and is more usually known by the Tibetan name
of Chenresig, the Bodhisattva of Compassion: the Dalai Lamas are believed to be
its reincarnation, as was Songtsen Gampo, the first Tibetan king in the seventh
century. In Tibet it is undoubtedly the most popular divinity. In China she is
believed to be female and is known as Guanyin: the Goddess of Mercy or of
Compassion.
Tibet - Padmasambhava - Tsongkhapa – Zaya Pandita. Padmasambhava was a
famous seventh century monk, master and magician of Indian origin, known by the
Tibetan name of Guru Rinpoche, believed to be the subjugator of the evil spirits
with which until his arrival roamed freely in Tibet. He was the first great Buddhist “missionary” on the roof of the world, and
belonged to the Nyingmapa sect, who wore five-pointed red hats. He founded the Samye Monastery, the first
lamasery in Tibet.
Tsongkhapa (1357-1419) was a famous Buddhist monk, the reformer of the
Buddhism that had been spread by Guru Rinpoche, and was the founder of the
Gelupgpa (Yellow Hat) sect, which today remains the largest group within
Tibetan Lamaism. He is also known by
the name of Je Rinpoche and was the founder and the first abbot of the Ganden
Monastery. He is undoubtedly the most honored
historical figure in Tibetan Buddhism.
Zaya Pandita (1599-1662) was a famous monk of Oirat Mongol origin. He was much appreciated by the fifth Dalai
Lama as a preacher in Mongolia and the author of famous sacred texts.
Tibet – Mandkesvarva. Mandkesvarva, known universally as the “Happy Buddha”
and as Yab-Yum in Tibetan (literally father-mother), represents the male
divinity in sexual union with his consort.
Sexual symbolism is a central teaching in Tibetan Tantric Buddhism. The use of erotic practices is seen as
leading to Enlightenment through the symbolic union between the woman
(representing wisdom) and the man (representing method). Their function is to make visible the union
of the female and male energies present in every living being and to bring them
together to reach perfect harmony. Yab-Yum
is also an allusion to the primordial union of wisdom and compassion, the
latter represented by the active male form, while the passive female figure
represents the former. The apparently
terrifying statues of Mandkesvara are very well known to the Buddhist faithful
of Tibet, and miniature versions also exist which are commonly placed on family
altars.
photograph and copyright manfredi bellati
Tibet - Mandala. The Mandala is an important object of contemplation in
Tibetan Buddhism with a great many functions and meanings, the first of which
is “container” (la) of “essence” (manda); it is made of five elements: a
central body and four doors at the sides.
In mandalas with a pyramid shape the central part represents the sacred
Mount Meru (the axis of the world) of ancient Asian cosmology. The mandala can have many forms and is not
necessarily an object; it may simply be a figure drawn on the ground in colored
sands, which are later blown away in a kind of ritual destruction of the ephemeral. It is also believed to be a symbol of the
mind and body of Buddha, and is normally made up of a circular base surmounted
by square or other geometrical forms.
Standing in concentration before the mandala, the initiate begins his
“journey” from the edge and moves towards the center of the object (or figure)
in such a way as to eventually identify himself with the imagined deity in the
center.
Tibet – Chorten. The chorten is the
most characteristic construction in Tibetan religious architecture. Originating in India, where it is known as a
stupa, it was the first funerary monument dedicated to the mortal remains of
the Buddha, which were divided up into relics after the cremation of the
body. Over time, the stupa came to be
used to contain the ashes of the holiest monks and other followers of Buddha,
becoming a powerful symbol of the Buddhist faith. In the early stages of the spread of
Buddhism, before the use of statues or images of Sakyamuni, the stupa was the
symbol of the new religion. The five
levels which make up a stupa reflects the four natural elements plus eternal
space: The square base represents the
earth, the cupola is water, the spire is fire, the moon and the sun at the top
of the chorten are air and space, while the highest point represents “Enlightenment”. The chorten thus represents the path, which
leads to Buddha, and its form is believed to be an evocation of his body. Chortens are used in all the monasteries of
Tibet, while the most important are in the Potala Palace and contain the
mummified bodies of the Dalai Lamas.
Tibet – Ceremonial Objects. The Seven “Protections” of
Buddhism. Ritual objects which were
placed on altars, there were also known as the “seven jewels”. Respectively,
they represent Military command, Horse, White elephant, Queen, Jewel, Wheel and
Government. They served to protect Tibet
from the influence of demons and evil spirit.
photograph and copyright manfredi bellati
Tibet – Tangka. The Glory of Sakyamuni.
The Tangka is a religious painting, generally on cotton canvas but very occasionally
on silk, framed in finely-worked silk brocade.
Its function is to describe and make visible to the faithful the sacred
world of Buddhism. Subjects range from
images of Buddha and other divinities, to scenes from the lives of holy monks
and Dalai Lamas, and the representation of the rites that take place in
monasteries. The paints are made of
vegetable pigments or minerals made into paste using vegetable oils. The last things to be painted are the eyes
of the figures, which are applied during a special ceremony known as “opening
of the eyes”. When it is finished, the
Tangka is consecrated by a Lama during a long ritual. It is then covered with a veil and hung in
the place for which it was intended (a monastery, temple or family dwelling);
it becomes an object of special attention, the veil only being lifted on
particular occasions when the Tangka is made visible as an act of devotion.
Tibet – Prayer Beads. Traditional prayer beads made of black wood used by
monks and ordinary people.
Tibet – Dungkhar Shell. A Dungkhar
shell made in silver gilt, semi-precious stones and silk. XVIII Century.
Tibet – Gabula. A ritual Tantric
object made from the skull of a holy monk, finished in gilded silver with a lid
and stand. Used during magic rites and
as a chalice for making offerings to Buddha.
Tibet – Vajra (Dorje). Vajra or Dorje is a powerful magic symbol in Tibet
Tantric Buddhism. Vajra in Sanskrit, or
dorje in Tibetan is the lightening bolt, which strikes the enemies of the
Buddhist faith. It is always seen
together with a bell as the two complement each other, the former vajra
representing the phallus of Shiva, the later (ghanta) representing the vagina
(yani), signifying strength and wisdom.
The association of the two objects indicates the birth of the world, the
origin of humanity: the lightening bolt (dorje) fertilizes the bell (yoni),
which represents the mother earth, the source of life.
photograph and copyright manfredi bellati
Tibet – Ritual Trumpets. Instruments used in open-air religious ceremonies,
in temple courtyards or on the hillsides outside monasteries. These enormous wind instruments (known as
dungcheng in Tibetan) emit a deep, haunting wail, which fills the valleys with
a powerful echoing sound perfectly matching the solemn chanting of the monks.
photograph and copyright manfredi bellati
Tibet – Rug. Tibetan carpet with
typical Chinese motifs (dragons and phoenixes) and a lotus flower in the
center, symbol of the Buddhist faith.
Wool and cotton, first half of the twentieth century.
Tibet – Travel Headwear and Ceremonial Crown. Typical headwear used on
journeys until mid twentieth-century by a high-ranking Lama. The ceremonial
crown was worn by a high-ranking Lama, mad up of five silvery plates finely
engraved with the five Buddhas of the Tibetan tradition.
photograph and copyright manfredi bellati
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Tibet – Clothes and Jewelry. Most
Tibetans, men, women and children wear the traditional chuba, a loose tunic in
wool or sheepskin with the hair on the inside, crossed over the chest and held
in place by a woolen belt, with bands of wool wrapped around the calve. On their feet they will wear boots or felt
shoes with thick soles and upturned points.
The clothes are similar for the men and women, and pieces of leopard
skin are often worn around the shoulder as decoration. Headwear is also made of animal skin or felt,
decorated with fur or colored wool, with a tall, cylindrical form and long
earmuffs lined in soft lambskin. The men
weave lengths of thick, red wool into their hair, which is often worn down to
the shoulders, while the women decorate their long flowing locks with colorful,
often exaggeratedly large ornaments of silver, turquoise and coral. The women often tie their hair in plaits,
into which are worked semi-precious stones.
Heavy, garnish necklaces are worn around the neck, bracelets around the
wrist, and both men and women wear earrings of all shapes and sizes. The nomad shepherds wear simpler clothes, but
always carry an elaborately worked silver reliquary around their neck, the gau,
containing a figure of Buddha, usually in terracotta, and strips of cloth on
which are written prayers, above all the classic mantra Om Mani Padme Hum, the
magic ritual formula repeatedly chanted by all, meaning “Hail Oh Jewel in the
Lotus Flower, the greeting addressed to Buddha.
Tied to the belt is an iron and
leather tinderbox with a pocket for flint, the indispensible tool for lighting
a fire, and at the side a dagger in a precious silver scabbard decorated with
semi-precious stones.
Above. Robe of Khampa nobleman, cotton, wool, leopard fur and marten.
Tibet – Ceremonial Robe. Ceremonial robe of a high-ranking official of the
Tibetan local government of the past (Kashag).
Tibet – Ceremonial Necklace. The Lhasa ceremonial necklace, first half of
the twentieth century, in pearls turquoise and coral, a gift of the XIV Dalai
Lama to the Central Government.
Tibet – Ceremonial Headwear. Women’s headwear used for non religious
ceremonies, coral, turquoise and amber.
Tibet – Cham and Lhamo masks. Masks
appear to have been used from the very earliest days of the spread of Buddhism
in Tibet. They covered the face of a
medium during a trance and signified that the deity in question had taken
possession of the wearer, whose personality was cancelled out. Masks used in
ritual are known as Cham. During
rituals, monks and lamas dance for several days in masks and costumes; the
gestures and movements of the dance, and the expressions of the masks are
believed to drive away evil spirits, and the ceremony transforms itself into a
kind of collective exorcism. The Lhamo
masks are quite different; they have no religious significance and are used in
traditional Tibetan Theatre. The various masks represent stock characters from
Tibetan literature and everyday life: the good, the bad, sovereigns, demons,
honest people etc. Lhamo Theater dates
back to the fourteenth century and is rich in personalities and history; at the
beginning of each performance a purification rite takes place on the stage and
the narrator gives a brief summary of the plot, presenting the principle masks
of the show that will follow.
Above. Cham masks.
Tibet – Lhamo Mask. Used in
non-religious Tibethan Theater, the mask represents the traditional character
of local literature, figures representing good and evil, demons and saints,
subjects and sovereigns.
Tibet – Masks. A mask made from
tortoise shell and used in ritual dances in honor of Yamantaka, the “Destroyer
of the Lord of Death”.
photograph and copyright by manfredi bellati
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Tibet – Lhamo Mask. Used in
non-religious Tibethan Theater.
Tibet – Election Urn. The Election Urn from which was extracted the tablet of ivory
bearing the name of the young “reincarnated” boy who was to be proclaimed Dalai
Lama. The ceremony was instituted in the
eighteenth century by the Qianlong emperor for the official confirmation of the
newly elected figure in the presence of legal experts sent from the
capital. (This reproduction was produced
in the 1950s. (The eighteenth century
original is preserved in Lhasa).
Tibet – Seal of the Eighth Dalai Lama and Golden Books. The seal of was a gift from the Qianlong
emperor (1735-1795) to the eight Dalai Lama, Jampal Gyatso. The Seal is
engraved with the four languages of the empire: Chinese, Tibetan, Mongol and
Manchu. Golden tablets on which are
engraved in Chinese, Tibetan, Mongol and Manchu the roles given by the Daoguang
emperor (1821-1850) to the Dalai Lama and the Panchen Lama, the two highest
religious authorities in Tibet.
Santu Lama (Jinpa-la), president of the Tibetan Community in Italy.
