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The Patan Museum displays the traditional sacred art of Nepal in an illustrious
architectural setting. Its home is an old residential court of Patan Darbar, one of the
royal palaces of the former Malla kings of the Kathmandu Valley. Its gilded door and
window face one of the most beautiful squares in the world. The museum's exhibits
cover a long span of Nepal's cultural history and some rare objects are among its
treasures. Their meaning and context within the living traditions of Hinduism and Buddhism
are explained. Most of the objects are cast bronzes and gilt copper reposse´ work,
traditional crafts for which Patan is famous.
The museum behind the golden door
The Museum Building: A
Converted Royal Palace
The residential palace compound of Keshav Narayan Chowk which houses the museum dates
from 1734, displacing a Buddhist monastery that is still remembered in annual public rite
on the palace doorstep. But both monastery and palace rest on far older foundations that
may go back to the Licchavi Period (ca. 3rd to 9th century).
Altered over time to suit other purposes, and partly fallen into decay, the building
has undergone a thorough restoration for more than a decade through the joint venture
efforts of His Majesty's Government of Nepal and the Austrian Government. Some parts are
new, others were reconstructed to their original appearance, and interiors were adapted to
the needs of a museum with appropriate modern facilities added. The museum opened in 1997
The Museum Collection
From existing national collections comprising more than 1500 objects some 200 were
selected for permanent exhibition and augmented with a few recent donations. The majority
of exhibits are sculptures of Hindu and Buddhist deities which were created in the
Kathmandu Valley, many in the nearby workshops of Patan itself. Others originated in
India, Tibet, and the western Himalayas. They are accompanied by written commentary
explaining their spiritual and art historical significance as part of the cultural
heritage of Nepal. The exhibits are also designed to assist in interpreting the living
culture that lies beyond the museum's walls.
Ground floor arcade and main staircase: In the arcade is a representative
selection of inscribed stone stetue from the mid-7th to the late 19th century. Flanking
the stairs above are six 17th century wooden temple brackets carved with images of the
Hindu pantheon.
Gallery A - Introduction to the exhibits: Through a combination of specially
selected images, explanatory text, and line drawings, this small gallery explains hot to
recognize Hind and Buddhist deities by a combination of symbolic features such as how they
sit or stand, how they hold their hands and what they hold in them, what ornaments they
wear, hoe they dress, and who and what accompanies them.
Gallery B - Hinduism: One of three galleries devoted to Hinduism, this gallery
introduces the religion and presents various manifestations of the great god Shiva, his
consort Parvati, and the familiar Ganesha. A highlight is a 7th century architectural
remnant carved with a row of Shiva's dancing attendants.
Gallery C - Hinduism: The theme of Hinduism continues with various images and
artifacts associated with Vishnu. One important object in this gallery is a rare,
ivory-handled bronze mirror while another is the gilded throne of the former kings of
Patan. Together with a narrative painting also on exhibit, the throne still plays an
active role in Nepalese culture when annually venerated for a day at the Krishna temple
opposite the museum.
Gallery D - Hinduism: The diverse objects exhibited here range from images of
the most ancient Vedic gods to the most recent Tantric manifestations. Three stunning
repousse masks of Indra and a complex, cast image of the goddess Siddhi Lakshmi should not
be missed, nor the intriguing group of 11th century sculptures found near Pharping on the
Valley's rim.
Gallery E - Buddhism: The origin and history of the development of various
schools of Buddhism are introduced and virus Buddhist images are displayed, including a
group of rare 11th and 12th century bronzes originating in India. As part of a
comprehensive exhibit on the stupa, or chaitya , a monument unique to Buddhism, one may
circumambulate a large scale model of Bodhnath (Bauddha).
Gallery F - Buddhism: Whereas the emphasis of Gallery E is on Buddhas and
chaityas, this gallery concentrates on the spiritual guides who in many forms, peaceful,
fierce, and ostensibly erotic, lead humans to salvation and Buddhahood.
Gallery G - Metal technology: The technique of hammering sheet metal into relief
designs - called repousse - is shown in consecutive stages from initial pencil drawing
through a finished, gilded Bhairava face, a display supplemented by large scale repousse
sculptures. Similarly, based on reproductions of the head of the superb seated Buddha in
Gallery E, a series of models explain the process of casting images in the technique known
as "lost wax." These skills have been practiced for centuries in Nepal,
especially in the nearby family workshops in Patan, the traditional center of the
metallurgical arts.
Gallery H- Historical views of Nepal: An album of photographs from 1899,
discovered at the Volkerkunde museum in Vienna, is the basis and beginning of collection
of historical views of Nepal as it was when still essentially closed to the rest of the
world.
Gallery M - An illustrated manuscript: This small gallery is devoted to a single
item, an esoteric Hindu Tantric manuscript. Among other aspects, it contains a colorful
two-meter long diagram of the "subtle body" thought to lie hidden within the
seen body. It is a pictorial representation of Kundalini yoga which is explained in
accompanying labels.
MUSEUM FACILITIES outdoor cafeteria adjoining the palace garden museum
shop focusing on Nepal's art and culture seminar rooms for workshops and lectures
guest studios for foreign scholars and artists open courtyard space for cultural
events.
The floor maps are as follows:
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