Rubin Museum Tibetan Buddhist Shrine Room

A lamplit sanctuary amid the bustle of Brooklyn—and a refuge in uncertain times—the Rubin Museum Tibetan Buddhist Shrine Room is a place to learn, reflect, and seek inspiration. The installation presents more than 100 artworks and ritual objects as they would be displayed in an elaborate household shrine, where devotees make offerings, pray, and meditate. Scroll paintings (thangkas), sculptures, furniture, and musical instruments dating from the 12th to 21st century are carefully arranged according to Tibetan Buddhist tradition. Chanted prayers by monks and nuns reflect the ritual practices and remind visitors that Buddhist rituals engage all the senses.