MYTHS, RELIGION & RITUAL: INDIAN ART FROM THE KOBLENZER COLLECTION

 

June 20–September 5, 2010

Myths, Religion and Ritual: Indian Art from the
Koblenzer Collection
Rodale Gallery
Non-member exhibition admission: $7
(plus museum admission) includes "In Stitches."

An important collection of Indian sculpture recently gifted to the museum by Drs. Peter and Caroline Koblenzer of Philadelphia forms one of the special museum exhibitions on view this summer. The collection, which offers the opportunity for visitors to gain a more comprehensive picture of Indian religions and rituals as well as a better understanding of the art heritage of South Asia, includes over two dozen important sculptural works in wood, bronze and stone that range in date from the sixth to early 20th centuries. These major three-dimensional pieces represent iconic sacred representations of key deities and religious figures from the major religions of the region–Jainism, Buddhism and Hinduism. Many of the works would have been housed in temples or other places of worship, while others were created for use in folk festivals, public processions, local rituals or home worship.

Also included in the exhibition is a small but unusual and exciting selection of Indian tribal sculpture from the late 19th and early 20th centuries. These works represent folk images and beliefs, a little recognized but important genre that has heretofore not been represented within the museum’s holdings. The tribal pieces, radically different from the religious and ritual sculpture typically associated with the region, represent a more magical look at religion and religious beliefs.

Part of the works that comprise the Koblenzer collection have been presented to the museum as lifetime gifts and the remaining pieces are promised estate gifts; all are on view in the exhibition. This exceptional group of objects as a whole will appreciably augment the museum’s present Indian art collection, expanding both its stylistic and artistic range as well as its future interpretive value.

 

Contributing support provided by The Leon C. and June W. Holt Endowment.
Sustaining support provided by The Audrey and Bernard Berman Endowment Fund.
Additional support provided by Natural Awakenings and Zoellner Arts Center.

  

"Myths, Religion & Ritual: Indian Art from the Koblenzer Collection"

India, Kerala. "Rati, Chariot Panel," about 1600, wood.
Gift of Peter J. and Caroline S. Koblenzer, 2009.

 
 
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