2007-12-10

The Dragon’s Gift : The Sacred Arts of Bhutan

The Robert H.N. Ho Family Foundation is delighted to partner with the Honolulu Academy of Arts in supporting The Dragon’s Gift : The Sacred Arts of Bhutan, a multi-year project that preserves, documents and presents the living Vajrayana Buddhist culture of Bhutan. The essential ideas of the project are in line with the Foundation’s philosophy, which we wish to share with a broader audience.

As the only Vajrayana Buddhist kingdom in the world, Bhutan embraces a harmonious co – existence between mankind and nature. The country’s ancient culture, arts and religious lineages have been preserved relatively intact. Bhutan is also known for being a proponent of “Gross National Happiness,” as opposed to the more conventional Gross National Product. Experiencing the kingdom’s unique culture and sacred arts is an opportunity to reflect on issues of globalization, modern materialism and the importance of balance in life. This timely message is a manifestation of the Foundation’s belief that the insights of Buddhism can be a powerful vehicle for both personal and societal development and transformation – one that can help people approach issues in society and the world with greater integrity and ingenuity.

To promote the preservation and revitalization of traditional arts and culture are at the heart of our Foundation’s mission. The efforts of the Honolulu Academy of Arts, the Royal Family of Bhutan, and the many experts who have given their hearts to this project are exemplary. These include training workshops on conservation for Bhutanese monks, the creation of a video archive for the Cham ritual dance, and the development of a database featuring Bhutanese arts in worldwide museum collections. They have produced, for the first time, a wealth of knowledge about this unique ancient culture for the reference of generations to come. We hope this project will help inspire other endeavours in preserving and bringing traditional arts and culture to life.

The Dragon’s Gift : The Sacred Arts of Bhutan will tour museums in the United States, Europe and Asia, bringing with it thangkas, sculptures, metal works, textiles, and ritual objects that have never been seen outside Bhutan. As a supporter of cross-cultural understanding, the Foundation believes that this tour will provide international audiences with an eye-opening experience of Bhutan’s cosmology and worldview, and encourage appreciation of this very beautiful culture.

We hope that you will find the exhibition, the preservation and documentation projects, and this catalogue as fascinating and thoroughly enjoyable as we do.

Robert H. N. Ho
Chairman
The Robert H. N. Ho Family Foundation
March 2007

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