The Dragon`s Gift: The Sacred Arts of Bhutan

Image: A gilded cast copper sculpture with cold gold pigments and turquoise shows the future Buddha Maitreya in this undated photo provided by the Honolulu Academy of Arts. Even in Bhutan, the public rarely gets chances to see the centuries-old sculptures and paintings now showing at the Honolulu Academy of Arts. The exhibit is later due to travel to New York, San Francisco, Europe and possibly Singapore over the next two years.

Honolulu: Assistant curator John Johnston scaled steep cliffs for seven hours to reach a bronze sculpture of a Buddha at a small Himalayan monastery 13,000 feet (3,962 metres) above sea level. And where there was no trail, he and two companions grabbed trees to pull themselves up the mountain.

The gilt bronze figure is now one of the key pieces in ``The Dragon`s Gift: The Sacred Arts of Bhutan,`` a rare display of centuries-old sculptures and paintings that have never before left the remote, mountainous kingdom.

Even in Bhutan, the public rarely gets to see the rich collection of work now showing at the Honolulu Academy of Arts. The exhibit is due to travel to New York, San Francisco, Europe and possibly Singapore over the next two years.

Almost all the art is normally kept in active temples, monasteries and dzong - fortress like buildings home to both monasteries and government offices. About a quarter of the items were gathered from far-flung monasteries and temples reachable only by hiking several hours from the nearest road.

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