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Articles by Amy Heller
Dr. Amy Heller is affiliated with the Institute for Science of Religion, University of Bern, and the Centre for Research on the Civilisations of East Asia, Paris. She has spent years in research and extensive travels in Tibet, the Himalayas and the Silk Road, and she has collaborated on exhibitions and catalogues for the Ashmolean Museum, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Art Institute of Chicago, Musée Guimet, Abegg Foundation, Rietberg Museum, and Newark Museum. She has been a visiting professor at University of Roma La Sapienza, Centre for Tibetan Studies Sichuan University, and most recently taught at University of Bern.
| A Portrait of BARAWA GYALTSEN PELZANG (1310-1391) |
| This thangka’s regional provenance of western Tibet / western Himalaya is apparent from the composition of the thangka: the center is devoted to the monumental throne with ornate draperies at the center of the throne base holding the lotus on which Barawa Gyaltsen Pelzang is seated, the upper register is sub-divided by trilobate arches with individual portraits, the two lateral borders also with the series of portraits of the monastic lineage, and the lower register with the consecration scene and the protectors. In particular, such throne draperies are characteristic of paintings – portable and murals – from western Tibet since ca. 12th century. |
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| Published: May 16, 2025 |
| Tibetan artists and Tibetan identity: who's who and since when? |
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This research seeks to explore the terrain of Tibetan art by reflections on Tibetan art in the 21st century, focussing on contemporary works by Tsewang Tashi, Benchung, Gonkar Gyatso, Gade and Sonam Dolma Brauen. To what extent do their works of art reflect a continuum of the fluctuations of Tibetan art over time? |
| Published: May 30, 2020 |
| Fourteen Thangkas of the 'Brug pa bKa' brgyud pa |
| This article is a brief presentation of a complete series of thangkas which represent a lineage of lamas painted in the first half of the 18th century, probably in Central Tibet. Each painting has a central figure of a religious hierarch identified by his name on the reverse of the painting along with consecration inscriptions. The entire series was purchased by Jack and Muriel Zimmerman several decades ago. |
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| Published: September 20, 2012 |
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Tracing the Reception and Adaptation of Foreign esthetic elements in Tibetan sculpture |
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Criss-crossed by trade routes since time immemorial, the earliest historic records of Tibet in the 7th century describe a flourishing kingdom actively engaged in political and matrimonial alliances with rival tribes and foreign powers. To appreciate how the Tibetans developed their distinctive fusion and adaptation of foreign styles and techniques, this article examines the multiple influences inspired by the arts of Central Asia and China, as well as of India and the Kashmiri and Nepalese schools. |
| Published: September 20, 2006 |
| The Lhasa gtsug lag khang: Observations on the Ancient wood Carvings |
| In the ninth century inscriptions on the Karchung rdo ring, the foundation of the Lhasa gtsug lag khang, the most revered Lhasa temple, is attributed to the reign of Srong btsan sgam po. The Tibetans had encountered the marvels of Buddhist art as an indirect result of their military expansion towards the Himalaya as well as to the Silk Routes and China. |
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| Published: April 07, 2006 |
| The Silver Jug of the Lhasa Jokhang |
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At present, a silver jug stands in a wooden frame in one of the chapels of the Lhasa Jokhang, traditionally regarded as the oldest temple in Tibet. The people represented on the jug reflect Tibetan familiarity with their neighbors’ appearance and customs. The Tibetans believe this jug to be associated with Songtsen gampo, the first historic ruler of Tibet. |
| Published: July 18, 2002 |
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