Czechoslovak Collectors in Mongolia and Votive Paintings of Green Tara in the Náprstek Museum
| Pages | 81–94 |
|---|---|
| Keywords | Mongolia, COMECON, Czechoslovak travellers, Náprstek Museum of Asian, African and American Cultures (Prague), Mongolian ritual painting, Buddhism, Green Tārā female deity, Green Tārā iconography |
| Type of Article | Peer-reviewed |
| Citation | HEROLDOVÁ, Helena. Czechoslovak Collectors in Mongolia and Votive Paintings of Green Tara in the Náprstek Museum. Annals of the Náprstek Museum. Prague: National Museum, 2014, 35(2), 81–94. ISSN 0231-844X (print), 2533-5685 (online). Also available from: https://publikace.nm.cz/en/periodicals/aotnpm/35-2/czechoslovak-collectors-in-mongolia-and-votive-paintings-of-green-tara-in-the-naprstek-museum |
The goddess Tārā, the motherly helper and protector, belongs among the most popular deities in the countries under the influence of Tibetan Buddhism, including Mongolia. Portrayed in sculpture, print and painting, her iconography is established for centuries. She is depicted as a beautiful woman with the green body sitting on a lotus throne, her hands in gestures of protection. Her main attribute is a blue or a pink lotus in her hand. The selection of small votive paintings of the Green Tārā found in the Collection of Tibetan and Mongolian art in the Náprstek Museum were collected by the Czechoslovak COMECON experts working in Mongolia in the 1960s the 1970s. Although relatively contemporary, the paintings represent the changes in her iconography and material processing, as well as the paintings’ function in the society undergoing social and religious changes, as Mongolia did during the 20th century.
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