NEPAL MASK HIMALAYAN TRIBAL ART WESTERN NEPAL, THE ARCHETYPAL ICONOGRAPHY OF AN ARTISTIC LIVING TRADITION. WESTERN NEPAL HUMLA REGION

ETHNOFLORENCE

INDIAN AND HIMALAYAN

FOLK AND TRIBAL ARTS

2008-2016

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WESTERN NEPAL

THE ARCHETYPAL ICONOGRAPHY OF AN ARTISTIC LIVING TRADITION

Photo courtesy of Jean Claud Latombe

http://ai.stanford.edu/~latombe/mountain/index.htm

“…La natura non contenuta dall’equilibrio del clima prolifica con ebbra esuberanza: l’uomo stesso è natura, una immobilità stupefatta lo cristalizza in una inerzia senza passato; ti muovi in un terreno vergine…”

“… Nature not contained by the equilibrium of the climate proliferates with intoxicated exuberance: man himself is nature, an astonished immobility crystallizes him in an inertia without a past; you move in virgin ground …”

(GIUSEPPE TUCCI about the Humla region).

“Giuseppe Tucci ricorda come nella regione di Humla si trovassero dei templi dal carattere e stile primitivo,  aperti sul davanti,  il tetto  in paglia  appoggiato su possenti tronchi d’albero, dall’aspetto non dissimile da   quello delle capanne o dei sacrari dell’Assam e della Polinesia , nell’interno  figure di legno scolpite in uno stile frontale rappresentavano nell’immobile ed atemporale  fissità dei volti  le immagini dei donatori, famiglie intere in attonita attesa  poste  intorno ad una  informe pietra, in cui sembrava celarsi  la misteriosa  presenza divina …” (free and personal reinterpertation by Ethnoflorence of an original writing  of G.Tucci,  libera e personale  reinterpertazione il cui spunto è tratto da un testo originale di Giuseppe Tucci)

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“Giuseppe Tucci remembers how in the Humla region there were temples with a primitive character and style, open at the front, the thatched roof resting on mighty tree trunks, with an appearance not unlike that of the huts or shrines of Assam and of Polynesia, in the interior wooden figures carved in a frontal style represented in the motionless and timeless fixity of the faces the images of the donors, entire families in astonishment placed around a shapeless stone, in which the mysterious divine presence seemed to hide. .. “(free and personal reinterpertation by Ethnoflorence of an original writing of G.Tucci, free and personal reinterpertation whose inspiration is taken from an original text by Giuseppe Tucci)

“Giuseppe Tucci annota come il  Il pandit che gli faceva da guida  si rifiutasse di definire  Induismo la religione delle genti di questa regione,  che con disprezzo   definiva    superstiziosa adorazione di spiriti e demoni, nel termine locale bhut, entità insidiose e vendicative. La paura delle entità ostili ed  invisibili sembrava  incombere e pervadere tutto  intorno,  minacciando i viandanti  da ogni altura  di colle oppure  dai temuti  rami degli alberi maledetti, sui rami dei quali, brandelli di stoffa colorata, appesi dal viandante timoroso, ad ogni alito  di vento prolungavano invisibili  esorcismi…”(free and personal reinterpertation by Ethnoflorence of an original writing  of G.Tucci,  libera e personale  reinterpertazione il cui spunto è tratto da un testo originale di Giuseppe Tucci)

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“Giuseppe Tucci notes how the pundit who guided him refused to define Hinduism as the religion of the people of this region, which he scornfully defined as superstitious worship of spirits and demons, in the local term bhut, insidious and vengeful entities. hostile and invisible entities seemed to loom and pervade all around, threatening the travelers from every height of the hills or from the feared branches of cursed trees, on the branches of which, shreds of colored cloth, hung by the fearful traveler, with every breath of wind prolonged invisible exorcisms … “(free and personal reinterpertation by Ethnoflorence of an original writing of G.Tucci, free and personal reinterpertation whose inspiration is taken from an original text by Giuseppe Tucci)

“Circa la credenza di alberi creduti maledetti Giuseppe Tucci sottolineva come Devozione non fosse probabilmente la parola più appropiata, per definire il sentimento che ispiravano nei viandanti,  perché era certamente più  la paura il sentimento che li portava  a dedicare una preghiera o ad annodare un brandello di stoffa sui rami di questi alberi trasformati così in muti e temuti simulacri.” Free and personal reinterpertation by Ethnoflorence of an original writing  of G.Tucci,  libera e personale  reinterpertazione il cui spunto è tratto da un testo originale di Giuseppe Tucci)

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“Regarding the belief in trees believed to be cursed, Giuseppe Tucci underlined how Devotion was probably not the most appropriate word, to define the feeling they inspired in travelers, because fear was certainly more the feeling that led them to dedicate a prayer or to tie a shred of cloth on the branches of these trees thus transformed into dumb and feared simulacra. ” Free and personal reinterpertation by Ethnoflorence of an original writing of G.Tucci, free and personal reinterpertation whose inspiration is taken from an original text by Giuseppe Tucci)

Una donna che  non voleva farsi ardere nel rogo del marito morto, secondo una antica tradizione indiana, fu uccisa dai suoi parenti, da quel giorno si trasformò in un vendicativo BHUT che insidiava tutti coloro che non le dimostravano devozione … i bhut più temuti e rispettati sono comunque quelli che aleggiano nei pressi dei ponti o degli scoscesi  sentieri sospesi nel vuoto, lì il viandante deve prestare molta attenzione e devozione. Giuseppe Tucci riporta la storia di un ponte particolarmente temuto, quello di Cotbara, lì si credeva  dimorasse  lo spirito di un  brahamano che si era suicidato proprio in quel luogo. Nessuno osava attraversare quel ponte una volta calato il sole.”…”(free and personal reinterpertation by Ethnoflorence of an original writing  of G.Tucci,  libera e personale  reinterpertazione il cui spunto è tratto da un testo originale di Giuseppe Tucci)

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A woman who did not want to be burned in the stake of her dead husband, according to an ancient Indian tradition, was killed by her relatives, from that day she turned into a vengeful BHUT who threatened all those who did not show her devotion … the most feared bhoots and respected are however those who hover near bridges or steep paths suspended in the void, there the traveler must pay a lot of attention and devotion. Giuseppe Tucci relates the story of a particularly feared bridge, that of Cotbara, where the spirit of a Brahman who had committed suicide was believed to dwell there. Nobody dared to cross that bridge once the sun went down. “… free and personal reinterpertation by Ethnoflorence of an original writing of G.Tucci, free and personal reinterpertation whose inspiration is taken from an original text by Giuseppe Tucci-

Photo courtesy Jean Claude Latombe.

https://ethnoflorence.wordpress.com/category/collection-jean-claud-latombe/

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NEPAL

SHAMANISM AND TRIBAL SCULPTURE

  Christian Lequindre, Marc Petit.

In collaboration with NEPAL TRIBAL ART

see more on:

https://ethnoflorence.wordpress.com/2012/01/12/nepal-chamanisme-et-sculpture-tribale-christian-lequindre-marc-petit-nepal-tribal-art/

https://ethnoflorence.wordpress.com/2012/01/12/nepal-chamanisme-et-sculpture-tribale-christian-lequindre-marc-petit-nepal-tribal-art/

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-NEPALESE SHAMANS, PICTURES FROM THE VERY EARLY  70’s, courtesy of  KRISHNA S.BEUTEL, pieces from Richard Lair (FRA) and Bill Marsh (USA) Collection.

Richard Lair Collection a sensitive selection on

https://ethnoflorence.wordpress.com/2010/01/25/nepal-mask-himalayan-tribal-art-richard-lair-collection-a-sensitive-selection/

Bill Marsh’s complete shaman kit on

https://ethnoflorence.wordpress.com/2010/01/19/nepal-shaman-art-tamang-shaman-kit-bill-marsh-collection-faces-of-devotion-indian-sculpture-from-the-figiel-collection-on-view-april-10-2010-to-january-16-2012-peabody-essex-museum-salem-ma/

 

 

(Photo courtesy KRISHNA S.BEUTEL, Richard Lair, Bill Marsh).

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-ANTHROPOMORPHIC NEPALESE FRONT COVER BOOK

from Ethnoflorence Collection.

 

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HIMALAYA

by Jean Pierre GIROLAMI catalogue 

Ilda Suarez Opt’image of the exhibition of the 1997 in Blagnac (FRA) .

Small but interesting catalogue by Jean Pierre GIROLAMI , passionate supporter of the Himalayan field, he was one of the first to documentate the unknown art of western Nepal.

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EIDOS COLLECTION

OF WESTERN NEPAL FIGURE

a new friend of Ethnoflorence, coming soon

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-MAMOIADA, A LIVING TRADITION AN ICONOGRAPHIC COMPARATION

In collaboration with the MUSEO DELLE MASCHERE MEDITERRANEE di MAMOIADA, coming soon.

 

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MUSEE DE LA CASTRE

CANNES FRANCE

– MUSEE DE LA CASTRE, CANNES, FRANCE,

Himalayan Classic, Folk and Tribal Arts new stuff. ETHNOFLORENCE Indian and Himalayan Folk and Tribal arts photo Archive. 

MUSEE DE LA CASTRE NEW ROOM

https://ethnoflorence.wordpress.com/2009/12/27/musee-de-la-castre-cannes-france-himalayan-classic-folk-and-tribal-arts-new-stuff-ethnoflorence-indian-and-himalayan-folk-and-tribal-arts-photo-archive/

MUSEE DE LA CASTRE OLD ROOM

https://ethnoflorence.wordpress.com/2009/10/11/musee-de-la-castre-of-cannes-himalayan-room/

 

 

 

 

 

Last Updating 12.01.2020