DALLAS, TX – The Trammell & Margaret Crow Collection of Asian Art presents a unique collection of Tibetan artwork from The Newark Museum. Running from September 29 through December 31, 2006, Tibet: Mountains and Valleys, Castles and Tents from the Newark Museum Collection is a comprehensive exhibit displaying objects from pre-1959 Tibet and subsequent Chinese rule, offering rare glimpses of traditional Tibetan life.
The exhibit is unique in that it encompasses a wide range of Tibetan lifestyles, examining both the aristocracy as well as objects of the farmers and nomads. The works of art, which range from ornate ceremonial objects to personal tools, illustrate a distinct and vivid depiction of Tibetan culture.
Tibet is often referred to as the “roof of the world” or the “land of the snows” by virtue of its high elevations. Although situated between India and China, the Himalayan mountain range distanced Tibet from any potential cultural influence from its neighbors. Characterized by its isolation and dedication to the Buddhist religion, little was known and understood about Tibetan culture before the Chinese invasion.
Following the events of the Chinese takeover in 1959, fewer than 300 monasteries remain and scholars estimate that 90 percent of Tibetan art created over the millennium may have been destroyed*, enhancing the rarity and importance of the objects in this exhibit.
“I am so pleased to welcome this exhibition to The Crow Collection. The pieces are not only aesthetically beautiful but their rarity plays a critical role in educating on life in Tibet before the events of 1959. The exhibition is an enlightening study in culture and a careful examination of how people lived in a time and region that is often overlooked,” said Amy Hofland, Director of The Crow Collection of Asian Art.
Works of art on display include a 19th century silver prayer wheel with delicately inset jade, rubies and shells, and ornate trunks that monks and nobles used to transport their valuables. The status pieces are juxtaposed next to objects used in everyday life such as a portable cup holder that was used to attach to a yak pack. The cup holder alone is adorned with gold and silver dragons pointing to the rich artistic and religious traditions of Tibet.
The Trammell & Margaret Crow Collection of Asian Art is free to the public. It is located at 2010 Flora Street, Dallas and open Tuesdays – Sundays from 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. with extended hours on Thursdays until 9 p.m. For more information, visit www.crowcollection.org or call 214-979-6430.
The Trammell & Margaret Crow Collection of Asian Art contains more than 700 scrolls, paintings, objects of metal and stone, and large architectural pieces from China, Japan, India, and Southeast Asia. Over 300 works are on display in the galleries including precious jade ornaments from China, delicate Japanese scrolls and a rarely seen 28-foot by 12-foot sandstone facade of an 18th century Indian residence.
PHOTOGRAPHS available upon request: nicolette_woodburn@richards.com
*The New York Times, April 20, 2001
