| BALtrans has
recently finished working on the “Tibet Treasures from the
Roof of the World” project – an exhibition in Japan
featuring 119 Buddhist statues and tools, from the collections of
institutions including Potala Palace in Lhasa and the Tibet Museum
in Japan.
Spanning more
than a thousand years - from the ancient Tubo Kingdom in the seventh
century A.D. to modern times - the 119 exhibits represent the epitome
of the production, life, culture and art of the Tibetans. Among
them, 38 (32%) are national grade-one cultural relics including
the standing statute of the Kalachakra dus khor Parents Buddha,
which has 4 heads, 24 arms and bodies. This statue is honored as
the premier masterpiece of Tibetan Esoteric Buddhism. The remaining
81 exhibits are all national grade-two or grade-three cultural relics.
The total value of the exhibits is estimated to be over RMB 658
million (Euro 64.7 million).
Packing the exhibits coming from Tibet was a significant challenge
for the experienced team, mainly because of the delicate nature
of the exhibits and the thin Tibetan air.
The BALtrans project team consisted of 2 supervisors and 4 veteran
packers from the Beijing office. Although they were well prepared
and had received medical advice in advance of traveling to Tibet,
some members suffered from Acute Mountain Sickness and experienced
hyperventilation and severe headaches during their work in Tibet.
Nevertheless, the packing was accomplished as scheduled in 7 days
with members’ full commitment and team spirit.
The rare and fragile nature of the artifacts also demanded substantial
care and preparation of the experienced team. Many of the exhibits,
created as early as the 7th - 9th century, had been eroded over
the years and become extremely fragile. Leaks and holes were common
in many pieces and this consumed more packing time and effort.
Museum quality packing and crating materials are not readily available
in Tibet, so BALtrans had to bring them all from Beijing. Careful
measurements & calculations were required to build the crates
in advance.
“Tibet Treasures from the Roof of the World”, the first
exhibition of its kind in Japan, began on April 11, 2009 in Kyushu
National Museum in Dazaifu City, Fukuoka Prefecture. It will then
tour Japan – going to Sapporo, Tokyo, Osaka and Sendai. The
touring Exhibition will last for over 11 months until May 30, 2010.
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