BACKGROUNDER

For Immediate Release March 4, 2005

THE CURATOR’S TOP PICKS Intriguing artifacts provide insight into traditional Tibetan lifestyle

VICTORIA, BC – Drawn from the unrivalled Tibetan collection of the Newark Museum, : Mountains and Valleys, Castles and Tents makes its Canadian premiere at the Royal BC Museum from March 4 to October 10, 2005. The Royal BC Museum asked Valrae Reynolds, the Newark Museum’s senior curator of Asian collections, to point out some highlights of this travelling exhibit.

“One of the joys of the Tibetan collection is the breadth of the holdings, from rare, sacred or aristocratic pieces to everyday objects,” says Reynolds. Here are some of her don’t-miss artifacts.

• container. Though Buddhist doctrine forbids the killing of animals for food, most Tibetans do eat meat – from both nomadic tradition and necessity, as grains and vegetables aren’t always available year-round. The Tibetan staple, however, was tsampa, a food made of flour and usually stored in wooden containers. This elaborately decorated tsampa container, inlaid with gold and silver, is unusual in its large size and rich use of metal. It is the oldest object on display, dating back to the 13th century.

• Prayer wheel. No other Buddhist or Asian culture uses the prayer wheel, but these unique devices were everywhere in Tibet, used by people of all social ranks. Rolls of written prayers or mantras were sealed in the cylinder; each revolution “sent out” the prayers. Individual prayer wheels, like this silver one inlaid with jade and rubies, were powered by hand. Wind or water facilitated the sending-out of prayers from larger cylinders set up on roofs or in streams, while passing pilgrims and monks turned the giant prayer wheels placed outside temples.

• Painted storage chest. Until recently, Tibetan furniture was largely ignored by collectors and museums; the first catalogue was produced only last year. “We think of the Tibetans as nomadic and unencumbered by furniture,” says Reynolds. “But in castles and monasteries, it was always crucial to store valuable objects and, as officials travelled, to safely move these stored objects.” Painted with auspicious designs, this particular storage chest likely had an aristocratic owner. It resembles a steamer trunk, but its wide bottom and resilient leather-and- iron construction make it especially suitable for strapping onto the side of a for transport.

• Wooden . While a wooden teapot might seem unusual to North Americans, the choice of material was logical in Tibet, where most possessions were made to be portable and easily packed. This six-decade-old teapot, with its brass medallion and wooden burl polished over years of use, was once used by a nomad or farmer to serve po-cha ( ), Tibet’s national . Tibetan tea is like a frothy hot soup, sipped throughout the day for warmth and sustenance – especially important in the bitter cold of a highland nomad camp. The tea is churned in a separate container, combining chunks of dried , hot water, butter and salt, then poured into the teapot for serving to each person’s personal tea bowl.

For further information call 1-888-447-7977 or visit: www.royalbcmuseum.bc.ca

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Contact: Chris Higgins Media Relations Coordinator Marketing and Communications Royal BC Museum Phone: 250-387-2101 Email: [email protected]