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Thu Jul 14 11:49:22 MDT 2011


When East Met West Under the Buddha's Gaze Stephen Chernin/Agence
France-Presse - Getty Images

A Buddhist monk looked at a 3rd century Emaciated Siddhartha statue at the
Asia Society Museum in New York.
By HOLLAND COTTER
Published: August 10, 2011

After what seemed like an endless run of geopolitical roadblocks, "The
Buddhist Heritage of Pakistan: Art of Gandhara" has finally come, six months
late, from Pakistan to Asia Society. Is the show worth all the diplomatic
headaches it caused? With its images of bruiser bodhisattvas, polycultural
goddesses and occasional flights into stratosphere splendor, it is.

That all but a handful of the 75 sculptures are from museums in Lahore and
Karachi is in itself remarkable. Any effort to borrow ancient art from South
Asia is fraught, even in the best of times. For an entire show of loans to
make the trip, and in a period when Pakistan and the United States are
barely on speaking terms, is miraculous. (Without the persistent effort of
Pakistan's ambassador to the United Nations, Abdullah Hussain Haroon, the
exhibition would almost certainly never have happened.) So the show has a
cliffhanger back story as an attraction, and some monumental work, like the
fantastic relief called "Vision of a Buddha's Paradise." (Dated to the
fourth century A.D., it's a kind of flash-mob version of heaven.)

--
the rest, including photos at
http://tinyurl.com/3pxjz48

Slideshow at
http://tinyurl.com/3e324ul

Dan 

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