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Bhimarata Chariot Ritual

1776

Rubin Museum of Himalayan Art

Rubin Museum of Himalayan Art
New York, United States

This exquisitely crafted gilded repousse plaque depicts a special birthday celebration common to the Kathmandu Valley known as the Chariot Ritual. It is practiced by both Hindus and Buddhists when an elder reaches the age of seventy-seven. The festivities include the elder riding through the city on a chariot accompanied by the performance of various religious services in front of a sacred stupa.

To commemorate the birthday, Buddhists are also required to commission the construction of a stupa. However, if unable to build a full-size stupa, the family can sponsor a small three-dimensional or hammered metal sculpture or a painting of a stupa, of which this is an example. The presence of Manjushri, the Bodhisattva of Wisdom, at middle left and a monkey at the bottom left identify this stupa as likely representing a specific site, the famous Swayambhu Stupa of Kathmandu. A dedication inscription along the base dates the work to 1776.

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  • Title: Bhimarata Chariot Ritual
  • Date: 1776
  • Date Created: 1776
  • Physical Dimensions: H 17 1/2 x W 11 1/2 x D 3 3/4 in.
  • Type: Sculpture
  • Rights: Rubin Museum of Art, Gift of Shelley and Donald Rubin, C2006.66.63
  • Medium: Gilt copper; repousse
  • Place of Creation: Nepal
  • Exhibition History: Asia Society and Museum, New York, NY, "Buddhist Pilgrimage and Asian Art" (03/16/10 - 06/20/10), Rubin Museum of Art, "From the Land of the Gods: Art of the Kathmandu Valley" (03/14/08 - 02/23/10), Rubin Museum of Art, "Wutaishan: Pilgrimage to Five Peak Mountain" (05/10/07 - 10/16/07), Rubin Museum of Art, "Perfected Beings, Pure Realms" (10/02/04 - 10/16/06), Bruce Museum of Art, Greenwich, CT, "Female Buddhas: Women of Enlightenment in Tibetan Mysticism" (07/02/05 - 10/16/05), Oglethorpe University Museum of Art, Atlanta, GA, "Female Buddhas: Women of Enlightenment in Tibetan Mysticism" (09/14/02 - 04/15/03; 06/12/03 - 08/24/03)
Rubin Museum of Himalayan Art

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