Keywords
Buddhist art, art of Buryatia, art of the 13th – early 20th centuries, Mongolian Buddhist culture, Buddhist silver sculpture, Buddhist painting, thangka, historical photography, archaeological artefacts, exhibition concept, exhibits,
How to Cite
Elikhina Y. I. Exhibition “Perfection of Tradition: works of Buddhist Buryat art from the collection of the State Hermitage Museum (13th – early 20th centuries)” // The Art of Eurasia, 2024. № 4 (35). P. 316–329. URL: https://doi.org/10.46748/ARTEURAS.2024.04.019.
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Abstract
The author examines the concept and exhibits of the exhibition of Buddhist Buryat art from the collection of the State Hermitage Museum (13th – early 20th centuries), designed to demonstrate the continuity of Mongolian Buddhist culture since the time of Genghis Khan on the basis of the rich collection of the State Hermitage Museum. The 2024 exhibition was featuring a combination of archaeological artefacts and Buddhist works of sculpture and painting. The objective of this study is to analyse the conceptual framework of the exhibition and to examine a selection of the exhibited artefacts. The exhibition, which for the first time brings together artefacts of Buddhist art, archaeological finds and historical photographs dedicated to Buryatia from the Hermitage, constitutes a significant contribution to the study of regional history and culture. The innovation of this exhibition lies not only in its unique combination of exhibits, but also in its integrated approach to the study of the culture and art of the ethnic groups that inhabited this territory. The exhibition contributed to the study of a range of items related to the history, archaeology and Buddhism of Buryatia, and facilitated the study of the cults that existed in the 18th – early 20th centuries. The material for the study comprised exhibits, namely finds from medieval settlements in Buryatia and Transbaikalia that formed part of the Great Mongolian State, as well as items from the collections of E.E. Ukhtomsky, P.K. Kozlov, A.K. Faberge and B.I. Pankratov. The Buddhist silver sculpture originates from the private chambers of Nicholas II within the Winter Palace. Photographs by A.K. Kuznetsov were presented to the Tsesarevich during his journey through Siberia and Transbaikalia in 1891, they reflected the everyday lives and cultures of the diverse peoples who inhabited this region in the late 19th century. The study was conducted using a range of methods, including problem-chronological, historical genetic and comparative, and the method of researching an individual phenomenon within a polycontextual approach. Consequently, archaeological discoveries and artefacts of Buddhist origin are presented in a temporal sequence, thereby elucidating the processes of iconography and composition formation. Based on an analysis of archaeological artefacts, original texts, Buddhist cult objects, archival materials, published sources and scientific works, a number of issues pertaining to the formation and development of the Buddhist tradition as part of the spiritual culture of the regions of Buryatia and Transbaikalia are revealed.
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