Divine Beings

Featuring works by Asian artists in response to spiritual concepts, Divine Beings spotlights six exceptional works, five of which are loans that include one Hindu sculpture from eastern India or Bangladesh and four Buddhist paintings from China, Korea, and Japan that are linked with Buddhism. Visitors are invited to explore the relationships between these and more than 30 selected works from the Norton’s collection on view within the five Chinese galleries. Some representations of Hindu, Buddhist, and Taoist gods and demi-gods take the form of humans, such as the Three Taoist Star Lords. Other works depict real or imaginary animals, such as the owl, ox, tiger, horse, crane, dragon, and phoenix, which are believed to possess supernatural ability, acting as guardians or transportation for deities or souls. Within the structure of time-honored artistic and philosophical conventions, each artist has thoughtfully given form to their beliefs about the fundamental nature of existence.