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Map of Drepung Monastery
OriginTibet or Nepal
DateDated 1898
Dimensions18 1/8 × 24 3/4 in.
MediumPigments on cloth
Classification(s)
Credit LineRubin Museum of Art
Object numberC2006.2.2
Himalayan Art Resources Number65625
DescriptionMap-like architectural images made for Buddhists, like this painting of Drepung Monastery, favored the use of a high viewpoint. This allowed viewers to look down onto the main buildings of the massive monastic town, which was once residence to as many as eight thousand monks. It is easy to imagine yourself walking through this sacred complex, which is perched amid rolling hills, flowers, animals, stylized rocks, and cloud-topped mountains. Pilgrims travel across the hills and along the monastery’s paths to courtyards where monks engage in philosophical debates. These elements immerse viewers in the social life of Drepung.Not on view
19th century
dated by inscription, 1871
late 18th - early 19th century
16th century
ca. second quarter of 15th century
early 20th century
ca. 18th-19th century
16th century (ca. 1500)
14th century