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. More than one million people experienced the Shrine Room when it was exhibited in its original location, the Rubin Museum of Himalayan Art in Manhattan, from 2013 to 2024. To ensure New York City residents and visitors can continue to enjoy this space, it has been given a new home at the Brooklyn Museum. The immersive installation will welcome guests within the Arts of Asia galleries for six years. A virtual exploration of the Shrine Room allows visitors worldwide to enjoy this evocative sanctuary from home.