Amid the thousands of treasures in the Cincinnati Art Museum’s East Asian art collection, a small bronze mirror dating back to the 15th or 16th century always seemed rather unremarkable. After decades kept in storage, eight words asked by an expert allowed its hidden secret to be projected onto the wall. Last exhibited in 2017, […]
Monthly Archives: July 2022
‘Unpleasant to look at’: officials remove goofy Buddha statues donated by top generals
Former dictator Than Shwe and other top officials donated the carvings, whose strange gestures were a superstitious bid to keep power At sacred sites across Myanmar, worshippers prostrate before statues of the Buddha seated in the lotus position. Some are carved out of gorgeous marble, others fashioned with base metals or adorned with gold leaf. […]
Long-lost giant Buddha statue worshipped by A-bomb survivors returned to Hiroshima
HIROSHIMA — A large Buddha statue that was once enshrined near the hypocenter of the atomic bombing after World War II to pray for the victims, and whose whereabouts had since been long unknown, has been returned here for the first time in about 60 years following efforts by a temple priest. The “Hiroshima Daibutsu” […]
5 Iconic Great Buddha Statues in Japan
A trip to Japan isn’t complete without at least one trip to a temple, which is ji or tera in Japanese. While you’ll likely find that temples are quite a common sight, not every temple has a Buddha statue with a hand the size of your body. These large, divine statues are known as Daibutsu, […]
Preah Norodom Sihanouk-Angkor Museum showcasing seven new Buddha relics
A sandstone Buddha Foot statue and six olden wooden carvings of the spiritual teacher are on display at the Preah Norodom Sihanouk-Angkor Museum in Siem Reap town, according to APSARA National Authority (ANA) on July 7. ANA said in a statement that the seven artefacts had been restored by experts, after having been moved from […]
History of the Swastika: 6 Facts
The state of Victoria in Australia has made it illegal to display swastikas. After racist incidents increased 750% over the past year and a half, Victorian legislators moved to ban the Nazi-linked image. “Victoria has now become the first (state) in Australia to ban the public display of the Nazi symbol, recognizing its role in […]