Female Buddhas Boxed Notecards

The Rubin Museum of Art cares for, presents, and interprets an esteemed collection of art from the Himalayas and surrounding regions. The area includes cultures that touch upon the long arc of the Himalayas extending from Afghanistan in the northwest to Myanmar (Burma) in the southeast, and embracing Tibet, Nepal, Mongolia, and Bhutan. The larger Himalayan cultural sphere, determined by significant cultural exchange over millennia, includes Iran, India, China, Central Asia, and Southeast Asia.

The rich cultural legacy of this region in the form of paintings, pictorial textiles, sculpture, and ritual objects is largely unfamiliar to Western viewers. Exhibitions and programs at RMA promote exploration and aesthetic discovery to develop understanding and appreciation. Himalayan art engages common human themes about how we live our lives and rewards close looking with a visual and intellectual adventure.