DeKalb, Ill.—Dating from the 7th through 20th centuries, some of the most stunning sculptures, tapestries and manuscripts from the Northern Illinois University collection of Burmese Buddhist artworks are on display at the NIU Art Museum in Altgeld Hall.

The exhibition will continue through June of 2005. “It’s wonderful to see the hidden treasures of the Burmese arts,” says Catherine Raymond, curator of the exhibition titled, “The World of Burmese Buddhism.”

Raymond, a historian of Asian art and native of France, came to NIU two years ago to serve as director of the NIU Center for Burma Studies.

“I was teaching in Paris, but I came here for this collection, because it is so extraordinary,” Raymond says. “It’s hard to single out any items because we have many rare artifacts. NIU boasts one of the largest collections of Burmese art in the United States. We have over 1,000 pieces, with 60 to 70 of the most exquisite items on display in this exhibition.”

Those artworks include:

• A 7th century, finger-sized, bronze Buddha statue from the first Burmese civilization, known as the Pyu.
• Votive tablets, offered up by Buddhist pilgrims of the Pyu (7th to 9th centuries) and Pagan (11th to 13th centuries) periods.
• A variety of Buddha images from the 16th to the 19th centuries in bronze, silver and gilded wood.
• A pair of monumental kinnari and kinnara figures, mythological half-human, half-bird creatures that once graced the Court of Mandalay, the seat of Burmese royalty in the 18th and 19th centuries.
• Sculptures of the fierce Bilu spirits from the Court of Mandalay.
• A teakwood chest used for storage of ancient manuscripts and adorned with intricate engravings depicting the life of Buddha.

The Burmese artworks were carefully preserved in storage over the past five years, while Altgeld Hall was under renovation and the NIU Art Museum was without a permanent home.

The public was able to view some of the artworks during a traveling exhibit several years ago, but many new acquisitions have never been displayed in the United States.

NIU was selected as the national Center for Burma Studies in 1986. It is the only center devoted exclusively to Burma studies worldwide. Under the direction of Raymond’s predecessor, Professor Emeritus Richard Cooler, the center amassed its impressive collection of Burmese artworks, often donated by diplomats and scholars who lived in Burma. The country became known as Myanmar in 1989.

Myanmar today has a population of 43 million people and is among the most impoverished countries of Southeast Asia. The country borders India, China, Laos and Thailand, while its coastline runs along the Andaman Sea and the Bay of Bengal. Tropical jungles, including valuable teak forests, at one time covered about half of the nation’s territory.

For most of the past millennium, monarchies ruled in Burma, although the country fell under British rule during the 19th century. British colonialism ended shortly after World War II, and since that time, the country has experienced a state of political unrest.

The great majority of the people of Myanmar remain Buddhists, and Buddhism is reflected in nearly all Burmese artworks. Most of the items on display at the NIU Art Museum are teak carvings and sculptures, finished in lacquer and covered in gold leaf.

The exhibit is divided into seven sections exploring the diversity and complexity of the art of Burmese Buddhism.

“Our hope is that this exhibit will be widely viewed,” Raymond says. “It’s so unique, and it makes for a wonderful teaching tool to convey a better understanding of international art. NIU has taken excellent care of this collection for the past 18 years. For me, it’s an honor to be responsible for putting this show together.”

Each week the NIU Art Museum is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday, from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Thursday, and from noon to 4 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday. Community and school groups are encouraged to visit as well.

Group visits can be arranged by calling the Center for Burma Studies at (815) 753-0512. See www.grad.niu.edu/burma/ for more information on the Burmese collections.