DOI Heft:
No. 134 (May, 1904)
DOI Artikel:Le Mesurier, Lilian: Tibetan art
DOI Seite / Zitierlink: https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.19881#0315
Tibetan Art
patterns of some of the brass medallions on the copper tea-pot {page 2q
it comes about that while the brasswork of Jaipur it that I have seen, though not having visited
and Benares, the silver-work of Burmah, the wood- the Chinese Buddhist monasteries I cannot speak
carving of Kashmir are familiar to most art-lovers, authoritatively.
the unique and beautiful metal-work of Tibet re- I can say that neither in Little (Western) Tibet,
mains veiled liked a purdah woman, on whose face nor on the Sikkim or Southern Tibetan frontier,
only the men of her own household may gaze. It have I ever seen an ugly or ungraceful vessel,
would scarcely be an exaggeration to say that nine Grotesque some of them undoubtedly are, as might
out of ten cultivated people are unaware of its very be expected in a race imbued with a fantastic demon-
existence. Yet it well repays attention. With its ology, and in whose temples grinning deaths' heads
rarity, its symbolism, or its antiquity I am not here and skulls play a prominent part; but the sense of
concerned, but with its intrinsic excellence and proportion, and the instinct for form are never, in
quality of beauty. This seems to entitle it to a my experience, absent. This, however, may be
place of its own among the art of the nations. I said to be generally true of all Eastern art where
shall not do more than allude to the curious rock- it has not degenerated by contact with modern
carvings, though they are of infinite
interest to the antiquarian; or to the
wall-paintings in the temples, remark-
able more as allegories reflecting the
mind of the people than as works
of art, and revealing in most cases
strong Chinese influence. Neither
shall I dwell here upon the exquisite
silk hangings found in Tibet, which
are, of course, in no sense Tibetan,
but have for innumerable genera-
tions been imported from China
and treasured in the Lamaserais;
but I shall confine myself to the
metal-work only, which I believe to
be unique and characteristically
Tibetan.
No doubt foreign countries have
to some extent influenced this also,
in spite of the " closed door."
Persian and Indian patterns appear
on some of their utensils, and
squirming Chinese dragons on
others. But still in certain main
features it is unlike any Indian
art with which I am acquainted,
and there is nothing from China
(the other country which might
naturally affect it) that resembles tibetan skull-shaped libation bowl
295
patterns of some of the brass medallions on the copper tea-pot {page 2q
it comes about that while the brasswork of Jaipur it that I have seen, though not having visited
and Benares, the silver-work of Burmah, the wood- the Chinese Buddhist monasteries I cannot speak
carving of Kashmir are familiar to most art-lovers, authoritatively.
the unique and beautiful metal-work of Tibet re- I can say that neither in Little (Western) Tibet,
mains veiled liked a purdah woman, on whose face nor on the Sikkim or Southern Tibetan frontier,
only the men of her own household may gaze. It have I ever seen an ugly or ungraceful vessel,
would scarcely be an exaggeration to say that nine Grotesque some of them undoubtedly are, as might
out of ten cultivated people are unaware of its very be expected in a race imbued with a fantastic demon-
existence. Yet it well repays attention. With its ology, and in whose temples grinning deaths' heads
rarity, its symbolism, or its antiquity I am not here and skulls play a prominent part; but the sense of
concerned, but with its intrinsic excellence and proportion, and the instinct for form are never, in
quality of beauty. This seems to entitle it to a my experience, absent. This, however, may be
place of its own among the art of the nations. I said to be generally true of all Eastern art where
shall not do more than allude to the curious rock- it has not degenerated by contact with modern
carvings, though they are of infinite
interest to the antiquarian; or to the
wall-paintings in the temples, remark-
able more as allegories reflecting the
mind of the people than as works
of art, and revealing in most cases
strong Chinese influence. Neither
shall I dwell here upon the exquisite
silk hangings found in Tibet, which
are, of course, in no sense Tibetan,
but have for innumerable genera-
tions been imported from China
and treasured in the Lamaserais;
but I shall confine myself to the
metal-work only, which I believe to
be unique and characteristically
Tibetan.
No doubt foreign countries have
to some extent influenced this also,
in spite of the " closed door."
Persian and Indian patterns appear
on some of their utensils, and
squirming Chinese dragons on
others. But still in certain main
features it is unlike any Indian
art with which I am acquainted,
and there is nothing from China
(the other country which might
naturally affect it) that resembles tibetan skull-shaped libation bowl
295