A feature on the Myanmar art exhibiton at the Asia Society in New York. Article has images of more artefacts.
Museum Curators Build Trust to Host First Myanmar Art in U.S.
NBC News, 10 February 2015
For the first time, a series of sacred art pieces from Myanmar will be displayed in the U.S. at New York’s Asia Society Museum. Buddhist Art of Myanmar runs from February 10 through May 10 and showcases 70 pieces made from stone, bronze and lacquered wood, along with textiles, paintings and pieces used in rituals from the fifth through the twentieth century. Josette Sheeran, president and CEO of Asia Society says that the exhibit personifies an, “extraordinary moment in art and diplomacy.”
Myanmar, also known as “Burma,” has a lengthy history of colonization – the British controlled the country until 1948. It’s one of the most ethnically diverse countries in the world, and is home to many different faiths including Christianity, Hinduism and Islam. The exhibit is a “reflection of the extraordinary impact of Buddhism,” said Kevin Rudd, president of the society’s Policy Institute and the former prime minister of Australia. At 90 percent, Buddhists make up the largest portion of the population in Myanmar.
Full story here.
