Author Archives: ec118254

Walking into the Rubin Museum, one feels immediately at peace in the dimly lit entrance. There is a smell in the air that is reminiscent of old paper—slightly sweet, antiquated and comforting. Moving beyond the reception desk, we are greeted by the sight of a spiral staircase and two bronze lions. A quick glance upwards reveals several floors, and a large glass disk suspended in the empty space around the stairs. The rooms are large and—by the time we arrive—mostly devoid of visitors. But that is fine, because it allows us to appreciate the artwork in silence.

On the second floor, we are greeted with the sight of tapestries and colored cloth hanging all around. Even before looking at the descriptions on the wall, I can easily pick out the Buddhist references and motifs scattered throughout the fabric. The central theme of these pieces seems to be faith and reverence for the gods of Tibetan religion. The images are mostly of notable figures—gods, monks and the like—surrounded by countless smaller images of their followers and lineage.

We are allowed only a quick run around the rest of the exhibits, as the security guard warns us that it is near closing time. She is quick to assure us that we are welcome back at any time though, listing from memory the opening and closing times of the museum for the coming weekend. We use what little time we have left to listen in on a museum guide’s explanation of a goddess’s escape on a horse. She points out curious details that would be ignored by most normal viewers—the presence of an eye on the horse’s rump, which she explains as being formed when the goddess pulled an arrow from its body, as well as the necklace of heads around the deity’s neck.

Overall, I found the art collection of the Rubin museum to be quite unique. Many of its exhibits were centered upon the theme of Asiatic culture and Buddhist religion, and having come from a Buddhist family myself, I could better appreciate what the museum had to offer. To me, the most interesting exhibit was the one titled Embodying the Holy, which compared Buddhist artwork to their Christian counterparts. Seeing all the similarities between how the two religions were depicted really opened my eyes to the fact that they weren’t as different as I’d always imagined them to be.

I, Eliza Cen, verify that  this entry is my sole work and any inclusion of referenced source materials has been noted accordingly.