Deities and Devotion in Mongolian Buddhist Art

August 30–December 14, 2019

Deities and Devotion in Mongolian Buddhist Art explored the role that art plays in the religious beliefs and devotional practices of Mongolian Tantric Buddhism. The exhibition featured 130 paintings, drawings, prints, sculptures and ritual objects from the Kruizenga Art Museum collection and a California private collection. Most of the artworks dated from the 19^th and early 20^th centuries, and many of the paintings, sculptures and other objects were used in devotional rituals by both ordained clerics and lay believers.

Deities and Devotion in Mongolian Buddhist Art was organized by the staff of the Kruizenga Art Museum. The museum is immensely grateful to David Kamansky and Gerald Wheaton for donating and lending most of the artworks featured in the exhibition. The museum also thanks Dr. Ronald ’62 and Gerri Vander Molen, who donated funds to purchase additional artworks for the exhibition; Garrett Fixx ’20, the museum’s spring 2019 John H. Dryfhout ’64 Intern, who helped design the exhibition and prepare the artworks for display; and Tom Wagner ’84, who designed and produced the accompanying exhibition catalog.

A fully illustrated digital copy of the Deities and Devotion in Mongolian Buddhist Art exhibition catalog may be downloaded free of charge from the Kruizenga Art Museum website. The catalog is best viewed by selecting View→ Page Display→ Two Page View in Adobe Acrobat Reader.

View Deities and Devotion in Mongolian Buddhist Art exhibition and additional related artworks in the KAM collection database 

Download the Deities and Devotion in Mongolian Buddhist Art catalog (PDF) 

Image: Vajrapani, Mongolian, 19th century, Pigments and gold on sized cloth; copper, silver and glass case (Gift of David Kamansky and Gerald Wheaton)