Visit Our Tibetan Art Pop-Up Gallery, Dharma Art, This Month

There’s only one week left to visit our new Tibetan Art pop-up gallery, Dharma Art (Gallery 28) at the Manhattan Art & Antiques Center! Visiting us from Costa Mesa, California, and managed by Yanki P. Ackerman, an Asian Art dealer for nearly 25 years, Dharma Art specializes in museum-quality Asian arts and antiques, primarily from Tibet and the Himalayas. Dharma Art has in fact provided pieces to the top museums in the country, including New York’s The Metropolitan Museum of Art and The Rubin Museum of Art. The gallery has also sold numerous works to famous devotees such as Richard Gere, Goldie Hawn, and Sharon Stone, among many other stars. Learn about the selection of Dharma Art’s incredible figurative pieces below but be sure to visit the gallery in person to see the breathtaking hanging thangkas paintings, and full range of objet. Dharma Art is located in Gallery 28, on the street level of The Manhattan Art & Antiques Center until September 30, 2015. Contact the gallery at (T): 714.852.3680 (F): 310.593.2426 (E): yangki@dharmaartgallery.com

In Buddhist philosophy, sacred imagery is thought to “possess and reflect the power of the Buddha’s enlightenment.” Tara is a female Bodhisattva (an enlightened being) known as “the mother of liberation.” Statues of Tara, such as the one above, are used in tantric deity meditation to develop many qualities, especially power and success.

Reflecting the famed practicality of Buddhism, ritual objects, such as the magnificent antique above, are used not only in temples and sacred ceremonies, but in private individual practice to aid a host of spiritual needs.

Two of the most popular sacred images of Buddhism, the Buddha himself, and Ganesh, the elephant-headed god of the Hindu pantheon that many Buddhists have adopted. Known as the remover of obstacles and god of new beginnings, Ganesh is often worshiped before any new venture. Also the god of intellect and wisdom, he is much revered by students. As he often is, he is depicted below in dancing posture to reflect one of his main roles, to entertain his parents, Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati.

The magnificent piece below is a gau, a Tibetan Prayer box , which is used to carry powerful amulets. The striking tantric scene depicted on the box includes the image of the many-handed god Shiva, one of the main deities of the Hindu pantheon.