Page 1
Page 2
Page 3
Page 4
Page 5
Page 6
Page 7
Page 8
Page 9
Page 10
Page 11
Page 12
Page 13
Page 14
Page 15
Page 16
SACRedARTOFTheeASTBYRAhUlPATelOBJeTSdARTAuThORScOllecTiOneXcluSivephOTOGRAphyBymAuReenclARkSpciaFEATURETheartofantiquityinAfricaartinEuropeandspeciallyAsianarthasbeenreveredbycommonpeopleineverydaylife.Whentheartupliftsthemassesandhealsitbecomessacredart.IndeedAsianartisatourdeforceoflifewhichhasthepowertoheal.InmyjourneyforthelastthreedecadesIhavewitnessedadoredandcollectedsomeofthesemostraresacredartobjectsfromtheEast.InJapanBuddhisminspiredZen.ArtbyZenmastersandmonksawakenedandenlightenedpeopleanditbecameZENGAARTThisvisualartmeditationthroughcalligraphyhaspowerbeyondwordstotransformlives.OneofsuchlivingmastersofZenandswordwasYamaokaTesshu1836-1888.TesshucalligraphedthemostZenartintheworldonemillionartpieceswhichearnedmillionsofdollarstobenefittemplesandshrinesnevercollectedasingleyenforhimself.HissignaturepiecetorepresenthismasterywasMUcalligraphywhichmeansNOTHING.ItistheessenceofZen.Bybeingjustemptywecanliveourtruenature.Itisahealingsutraoflife.Ihavediscoveredthatthissacredartbecomesmedicineinotherparts.InBorneoIndonesiaDayakculturetheshamanenergizessmallcharmsandamuletstoweararoundhisnecktoheal.Thesetinyprotectiveamuletsalsoarehungoncradlestokeepbabiessafe.ThesecondartobjectinthisarticlewascollectedbyIrwinHerseywhopopularizedIndonesianartintheWest.TheseDayakcarvingsarealsobelievedtopossesscurativepowers.Incuringceremoniesthesewoodenfigurinesareshavedforhealingritualstobeconsumedbypatientsasevidencedbythethirdartpieceinthisarticle.FarawayinthesnowkingdomoftheEastTibetthefolkBuddhistdeitycalledJAMBHALAisabelovedguardianwhohonorsmanycommonhomealtars.ItisaTibetanmanifestationoftheIndiandeityKubera.JambhalabringswealthprosperitylongevityandprotectionamongTibetanNepaliChineseIndianandinmanyAsianculturalbeliefs.ItisraretofindawoodenJambhalafromaboutthe15-16thcenturywhichwasusedforritualisticTibetanaltar.Natisaspiritaratherlittle-knownprotectivemedicinalamuletfromMyanmarBurma.Itisbelievedthatthereare37NATSspiritsamongthefollowersinMyanmar.Natsarealsousedbyshavingoffwhennecessarytomixinbeveragestodrinkforcurativepowers.Asmyresearchincross-culturalstudyofsacredartitisthesourceoftheirELAN.ThesacredartbecomesthelifeforcelikePolynesianscallitMANASiouxIndianscallitWAKANDAHinduscallitDEVAandLegainCongocallthisKALAMO.ItistrulyatransformationofartwhereartbecomesinfactmedicinetohealforhighestgoodandIamtrulyinawedealingwiththisgenreoftribalart.IMAGeS1.DayaktribalcharmshavedfromJamesWillisprovenance.2.DayakprotectivecharmfromThomasMurrayprovenanceexIrwinHerseycollection.3.NATspiritTonyAnninosprovenance.4.WoodenJambhalacirca15-16thcent.RobertBrundageprovenance.5.YamaokaTesshufromJohnStevensprovenanceRobynBuntinofHonolulucollection.21