The Dancing Demons of Mongolia

Under the leadership of the legendary Jingghis Khan thirteenth-century Mongolia became the mightiest empire in the world. The Mongols had practised Shamanism for centuries, but in the sixteenth century Buddhism made a decisive breakthrough. The gods and demons of the shamans were replaced by the Buddha and were incorporated in Buddhist rituals. In the Buddhist tsam dance deities from both traditions appear simultaneously. The dancers wear elaborate costumes and magnificent masks.

This catalogue of the exhibition The Dancing Demons of Mongolia describes the finest works of art which remain from the period subsequent to this conversion to Buddhism. Spectacular masks, garments and other attributes of the tsam, musical instruments, breath-taking gilt bronze and silver statues, delicate paintings and impressive holy scriptures, complemented by recently discovered old photographs, present the profound Mongolian religious experience.