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Episode 36, Friday 17 October 2008
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Niccole visits the Art Gallery of NSW in Sydney to view the Lost Buddhas exhibition. It beautifully tells an amazing story of discovery.
In 1996 workmen levelling a sportsground at a new Primary School in Qingzhou uncovered a pit containing over 400 stone statues of Buddha. They had been carefully wrapped and buried, and had been there since the 12th century, when a temple stood on the site. Although each one was intentionally damaged, evidently to make them fit, they were wonderfully preserved by the wrapping, and are extraordinarily beautiful. Many of them are painted and gilded, and some have the form almost of classical Greek statuary.
35 of the 400 have come to Sydney and are exhibited in a deliberately designed Gallery. The effect, with specially composed music, comes close to being hypnotic.
The exhibition runs till 23 November 2008.
For more information : http://www.artgallery.nsw.gov.au
