Stories of the Previous Lives of the Buddha (Jataka)

[@orsino88]

Apparently the Rubin has dissolved?

[@smarthistory-art-history]

The Rubin remains, it has not dissolved. However, as you may have seen, they have given up their physical space on 17th Street. You can read more about their institutional transformation and future objectives here: rubinmuseum.org/wp-content/uploads/pressrelease/2024/RubinTransition_PR_013124.pdf

[@orsino88]

@ , that’s good to know. I regret that I missed the physical manifestation of the collection, because nothing quite matches the direct experience of art, but of course that’s not always possible. And real estate is very expensive in New York!

[@jimmerzsuh708]

2:33 not buffaloes. Tibetan yaks

[@smarthistory-art-history]

What is your identification based on? Yaks have long shaggy coats which I am not seeing, while water buffalo, as depicted here, have horns that grow down and back. Yak horns tend to go up as I understand.

[@jimmerzsuh708]

​@@smarthistory-art-history Let me clarify my identification and further elaborate on my observations. Buffalo horns typically have a plate-like, interconnected base, forming a continuous structure across the top of the head (and we are not referring here to American bison). In contrast, Tibetan yak horns grow independently from each side of the head, resulting in a symmetrical yet distinctly separate appearance, as observed in the painting. While buffalo horns generally grow downward and backward, the horns depicted in the image curve upward, a hallmark characteristic of yak horns. Yaks are native to the Himalayan region, including Tibet, where they thrive in high-altitude environments characterized by cold temperatures and low oxygen levels. On the other hand, water buffalo are typically found in low-altitude, tropical, and subtropical regions such as South and Southeast Asia. These animals are well-adapted to wetlands and hot, humid climates, which are entirely absent in Tibet. Consequently, it is highly improbable that water buffalo would be a subject in the context of a Tibetan thangka, a traditional hanging scroll. It is critical to note that the image in question illustrates the lives and teachings of Shakyamuni Buddha, who resided in India, where water buffalo are native. However, it is reasonable to speculate that the painter of the thangka, likely having never seen a water buffalo firsthand, may have defaulted to local imagery-depicting the buffalo in the form of a yak, as seen in the painting. It is not uncommon for cultural artworks to reinterpret foreign subjects using familiar forms. For instance, Black Madonna statues and portrayals of Commodore Matthew Perry in ukiyo-e samurai styles often reflect the artistic conventions and cultural context of their creators rather than aiming for precise realism. Similarly, the thangka artist may have rendered the water buffalo based on the familiar yak form. There is also a linguistic distinction to consider. In Tibetan, yaks are referred to as གཡག (male yak) and འབྱི (female yak). However, there is no native Tibetan term for buffalo, underscoring the animal’s absence in the region and local culture. In conclusion, while the thangka may symbolically reference a buffalo, the artistic depiction clearly aligns with the anatomical and cultural characteristics of a yak. The upward-curving horns, the absence of features typical of buffalo, and the geographical context strongly suggest that the artist adapted the image to reflect familiar Tibetan elements.

[@smarthistory-art-history]

Thank you, all good points thought I am still seeing the horns growing down and back in the painting. Can you read the inscription here? flic.kr/p/2qFMsJ3

[@jimmerzsuh708]

@ It seems you interpret the horns differently, perhaps due to how the painting portrays them, as growing downward and backward, given the stylized nature of the artwork. However, upon closer inspection, the horns in the painting initially grow upward and then slightly curve down and back. This curvature differs significantly from the characteristic horn structure of buffaloes, where the horns form a more continuous, downward arc starting from a plate-like, interconnected base. In contrast, the horns in the painting grow independently from each side of the head, maintaining the symmetry and separation typical of yaks. While the downward curve may resemble buffalo horns superficially, the overall upward orientation and the lack of a base-plate structure are more aligned with yak horns. Artistic interpretation might also play a role here. Tibetan thangka paintings often stylize animals to align with local cultural and symbolic imagery. This could explain why the horns appear slightly different from how they might naturally grow. Nonetheless, the absence of distinctly buffalo-like features further supports the interpretation that the animal depicted is a yak. Have you deleted my previous response? I can't see it now. And indeed yes I can read and understand the Tibetan script that you mentioned.

[@smarthistory-art-history]

Perhaps the issue is that this video is focused on the art and its pictorial strategies, rather than the signified.