An Exhibition Opened in Rome in Honor of the 390th Anniversary of the Birth of Chingizid Öndör-Gegëen Zanabazar

On January 19, an exhibition titled "From Mongolia to the Baroque World" (Della Mongolia al Barocco Globale) opened in the Borghese Gallery in the Italian capital, dedicated to the 390th anniversary of the birth of the famous Chinggisid Öndör-Gegëen Zanabazar. This information is provided by MiddleAsianNews.

The exhibition opening was attended by the Ambassador of Mongolia to Italy Naranthungalag Tserendorj, the Director of the National Museum "Chinggis Khan" Chulun Sampildondov, and the Director of the Borghese Gallery Francesca Cappelletti.


The exhibition includes monuments such as the bronze statue "Green Tara" and the bronze casting "Öndör-Gegëen Zanabazar," which are unique historical and cultural treasures of Mongolia. They will be displayed in the gallery for a month, after which they will be sent to the Museum of Eastern Art in Turin, where they can be seen until April 7 at the exhibition "Zanabazar: Eyes of the Steppes."


On this day, a Memorandum of Understanding was also signed between the "Chinggis Khan" Museum and the Italian Institute of Cultural Heritage.

Zanabazar Gombodorj is the first Mongolian Bogd Gegeen, a Chinggisid, ruler of Khalkha, who was under the suzerainty of the Qing Empire; he was also an outstanding sculptor and the founder of Mongolian portrait painting, as well as the creator of the Soyombo script.

He was born on the 25th day of the ninth lunar month in 1635 (which corresponds to November 20 in the modern calendar) in the Yösönzuyl area, which now belongs to the Övörkhangai aimag. His father, Tushiyetu-khan Gombodorj, was a representative of the Borjigin clan. The Gegeen-Tsetsen-khan Sholoi, who visited his parents, granted him part of his title — "Gegeen," suggesting that he would grow into a good lama.

Zanabazar is famous for his sculptures of Buddhas, bodhisattvas, and other Buddhist figures. He likely mastered the technique of casting during his visit to Lhasa in 1650, observing the work of Nepalese masters who were constructing the Potala Palace. Many researchers note that Zanabazar's style is closer to the Nepalese tradition than to the Tibetan.

Among his most famous works are the White and Green Taras, as well as the Buddha Vajradhara. The femininity and expressiveness of the Green Tara, which is considered one of Zanabazar's best works, place him alongside European masters of the Renaissance. Professor Rinchen Biamba even compared him to the "Mongolian Michelangelo." Öndör-Gegëen's creations have faced threats of destruction twice and were partially damaged: the first time during the Dzungar invasion in the late 17th century and the second time in the 1930s during the repressions against the clergy.

Later, Zanabazar's style became the foundation for the development of the so-called "Zanabazar school."