SOAS, University of London (The School of Oriental and African Studies)

18th-20th century Mongolian Buddhist paintings and appliques

Mongolia is a vast country of rugged mountains, rolling steppes and awesome desert, lying in the heart of Central Asia.  Its people are predominantly nomadic herdsmen and yet they have produced a highly sophisticated artistic tradition, which reflects their nomadic and spiritual culture.The most profound and long lasting influence on Mongolian art is that of Vajrayana Buddhism, which inspired a rich and vibrant artistic tradition.  This flourished for centuries under the patronage of the Khans, but in the 20th century it was all but annihilated by Soviet-inspired communism.

This lecture explores this rich tradition of Buddhist art, identifying particular Mongolian characteristics in their thangkhas and appliques from the 18th to the 20th century.  It also comments breifly on the renaissance present in Mongolia today.