Object

Table, wood; size: 34 cm x 71 cm x 35,5 cm; loan from Ugyen und Norzom Namgyel
Artfully carved, foldable tables are decorated with propitious symbols. Central motives are the dragon and the flying phoenix.

Slate, gold colour; 20th century; size: 36 cm x 31cm; loan from Anthony Aris
Namtöse, the guardian of the North, holds a banner and a mongoose spitting jewels.
The mythological »Guardians of the Four Quarters« protect the entrances to monasteries and temples and deter evil influences from all four directions.

Slate with gold colour; 20th century; size: 36 cm x 30 cm; loan from Anthony Aris
Phakyepo, guardian of the South, holds a sword in his right hand.
The mythological »Guardians of the Four Quarters« protect the entrances to monasteries and temples and deter evil influences from all four directions.

Slate with gold colour; 20th century; size: 39 cm x 31 cm; loan from Anthony Aris
Chenmisang, Guardian of the West, holds a chörten in his right hand.
The mythological »Guardians of the Four Quarters« protect the entrances to monasteries and temples and deter evil influences from all four directions.

Slate with gold colour; 20th century; size: 36 cm x 31cm; loan from Anthony Aris
Yulkhorsung, Guardian of the East, plays the lute.
The mythological »Guardians of the Four Quarters« protect the entrances to monasteries and temples and deter evil influences from all four directions.

Model of the Tongsa Dzong, wood, bamboo; L: 540 cm; loan from private ownership
For the exhibition »Fortress of the Gods« a model of the Tongsa Dzong was made in Bhutan to a scale of 1:50. The fortress, built by the Shabdrung in 1647, played an important role in the process of unifying the nation. During the late 19th century the Tongsa Dzong became the family home of the royal family; before becoming king, every crown prince hold the title of »Tongsa Pönlop« (literally: »high teacher«, title of the governor of Tongsa).
Photo by Klaus Vyhnalek

Book cover (legshing), wood, gilded, turquois; L: 82 cm., B: 35 cm., H: 4,5 cm.; loan from the National Museums & Galleries on Merseyside, Liverpool
Religious texts are written on single, loose sheets. Wooden book covers keep together the loose heaps of leaves at the top and on the bottom. At the centre of the cover three illustrations have been carved out in the shape of a relief: on the left Buddha Shakyamuni, in the centre the goddess Prajnaparamita*, die embodiment of transcendental wisdom and the personified illustration of the Buddhist teaching , and on the right the bodhisattva* Maitreya*, the Buddha of the coming age. All three of them are seated at a throne, which is framed by mythological animals standing on top of each other. The mythological bird Garuda forms the edge. The »Four Guardians of the World « (gyelchen deshi) are positioned in the four outermost corners.

Religious text, cover made of wood with copper sheeting and fire-gilding. Sheets of paper with gold coloured writing, silk cloth for protection; 19th century; H: 24 cm., L: 69 cm., B: 20 cm.; loan from the National Museum, Paro
The Buddha himself proclaimed the text of the Prajnaparamita sutra (»Totality of Wisdom«) to the first bodhisattvas*, who recorded the text in writing. The sutra contains important philosophical treatises of the Mahayana Buddhism on the non-existence of worldly conditions and the True Reality.
Illustrations which are painted next to the text show deities which stand in connection to the explanations.

Tashigomang, wood, clay; H: 54 cm; 17th century; loan from the National Museums & Galleries on Merseyside, Liverpool
This three-dimensional mandala shows, on various levels, the deities in all four directions of the compass of a specific school. A mandala palace is used by travelling narrators of religious stories. In order to explain his lecture, given in a singsong, the bard opens one gate after the other, thus showing the respective gods of a specific level and direction.

Free-standing mask depicting a fierce deity, wood; 17th century; height 44 centimeters; on loan from Josette Schulmann
 
A depicition of Guru Padma Gyalpo, the aspect of Guru Rinpoche, that shows him as the »Lotus King«. Thus he contributed spiritual and material gifts to his people.

Free-standing mask, wood; height 38 centimeters, width 29 centimeters; on loan from the National Museums & Galleries on Merseyside, Liverpool
 
Tsen* portrayals in mask-form are stored in the altar rooms. Here they are meant to be protectors of the Buddhist teachings. The lay-population also turns to them for protection in their everyday lives.

Wood; measurements 64 x 39 x 5 centimeters; on loan from Françoise Pommaret
The wind carries the prayers, that have been printed on prayer flags with printing blocks like this one, to the gods. The letters are carved into the wood in mirror-writing.