This important exhibition at the Villa Hügel, Essen, will be showing a large number of old religious artworks from the treasuries of Tibetan monasteries. Some of these works date back 1500 years and the majority have never before left Tibet; never before have religious and cultural objects from a variety of Tibetan monasteries and a provincial museum in Central Tibet (i.e. outside the capital of Lhasa) been shown in an exhibition.

The most important loans for the exhibition at the Villa Hügel come from the Potala palace in Lhasa, the former summer palace of the Dalai Lamas – Norbulingka –, the Tibet Museum and the Yarlung Museum in Tsethang, in addition to the monasteries of Sakya, Tashi Lhunpo, Palkhor Chode in Gyantse, Shalu and Mindroling.