September 20: The Dragon’s Gift: The Sacred Arts of Bhutan was officially opened by the Lyonchhen Jigmi Y Thinley in the afternoon of Thursday. New Yorkers have waited in line that extended to three blocks for the exhibition’s public viewing after the official opening ceremony.

Billed as the first comprehensive exhibition of Bhutanese sacred art in the continental United States, The Dragon’s Gift comprises 87 works of art. It includes intricate Kuthang, gilt bronze and wooden sculptures and ritual objects ranging in date from the 8th to the 20th century, with especially strong examples from the 17th through the 19th century.

Reports in the US media emphasize that since most of the works of art come from active temples, where they still serve as consecrated objects, monks will remain in residence at the museum during the period of the exhibition to perform the necessary rituals.

The Dragon’s Gift is on at the Rubin Museum of Art which is the foremost museum in the West for the study and display of the art of the Himalayas and surrounding regions.

In Art Daily, an online art newspaper, the Chief Curator of the Ruben Museum is quoted as saying that this exhibition is a rare opportunity to explore an entire ethos untouched by the modern world. As part of the exhibition, the organizers have also been holding free cham performances in public spaces throughout New York City.

The repertoire of the public performances includes the Zha Naa Ngaa Chaam and Tungam.

Describing “Tungam”, The New Yorker magazine’s dance critic says the monks brandish daggers to pacify demigods annoyed by the advent of Buddhism. The music is drums, gongs, and chanting; the gowns are fabulous; and the tone is quiet, meditative.

After its debut at the Ruben Museum of Art in New York, The Dragon’s Gift: The Sacred Arts of Bhutan will travel to the Asian Art Museum of San Francisco, where it will be on view from February to May 2009.