V&A Opens Britain’s First Buddhist Sculpture Gallery

The Victoria Albert Museum in London opened Britain’s first Buddhist sculpture gallery on April 29. The Robert H.N. Ho Family Foundation Gallery brings together the museum’s world-class collection of Buddhist sculpture, which has never before been displayed in a unified way.
“Because Buddhism spread to almost every Asian country,” says lead curator John Clarke, “this is an opportunity for us to show many of our sculptural masterpieces from across Asia, and to properly interpret and provide a framework for understanding Buddhist sculpture.”

The pieces, dating from 200 to 1850 CE, include a rare shrine from the now-destroyed royal palace in Mandalay, Burma, and a monumental, gilt bronze seated Buddha from Tibet.
For Clarke, it’s difficult to say which piece in the collection most resonates with him. “If forced to decide on one,” he says, “I’d choose the thirteenth-century sandstone head from central Thailand. The serenity and intense inner focus of the face wonderfully evokes states of Buddhist meditation and epitomizes the Buddha as a spiritual master.”
The gallery was made possible by a lead donation from the Hong Kong-based Ho foundation, which seeks to foster an understanding of Buddhist philosophy and values through arts, culture, and education. To coincide with the gallery opening, the foundation also sponsored a series of events in London titled “The Many Faces of Buddhism,” featuring the International Buddhist Film Festival, which was held in Britain for the first time.

Be sure to check out our 30 Years of Buddhism in America: Art & Artist piece in our September 2009 issue.