Over the past 2,500 years, virtuoso artists of the Newar ethnic group in Nepal have created countless masterpieces of Buddhist and Hindu art, but the Malla Period (1200–1768) was perhaps their artistic "Golden Age." During this time, the fame of these skilled artists traveled far beyond Nepal's Kathmandu Valley and into neighboring Tibet, Bhutan, and India. Their renown even entered the court of Kublai Khan, founder of the Chinese Yuan Dynasty. Numerous international commissions followed, buoyed by wealth acquired through new and lucrative trade between these nations. The vibrant mineral colors, clarity of line, and elegant forms employed by these artists echo the aesthetic of their fifteenth century Florentine contemporaries Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci, and Bottecelli, whose works were similarly sponsored by wealth derived from new international trade.

In this exhibition, the Museum presents masterpieces from its own outstanding collection of rarely seen Malla Period art. Vibrant Buddhist ritual paintings burst with energy, a marvelous goddess coyly dances, and golden Hindu and Buddhist sculptures regally invite adoration.

 

http://www.philamuseum.org/exhibitions/289.html

We were the creater of the Pagoda architecture which is adopted by many Asian culture. We don't hear too many pride or the facts these days, I bet the newer generation probable don't even know of our art and culture,beside modern day THANKA.

Although I'm very proud of the display and the free exposure to the rest of the world, I'm very skeptic about these wealths that are overseas. How did those sculpture get there? Are we getting them back? I do not see anything valuable left back in Nepal. Are these the pieces that Royal family sold during their hayday? I'm pretty sure these are smuggled pieces and will be a collector piece once it's off the shelves from the museums.

Bob Marley,

I have gone to Philadelphia Art Museum as well as Upenn Musuem of Art  and asked them about their procurement process ( how they came in possession of these artifacts).They are ready to show the invoices and payment method made to get these pieces.THEY WERE ALL BOUGHT FROM PRIVATE COLLECTORS.There goes your dead end .If the country (in this case Nepal) wants to have their artifacts back then it should contact Interpole and be able to prove that these artifacts are originally from Nepal.India and China are doing that rigourously and even buying them back from the private collector.I hope when Nepalese rulers get time from their petty squabbling ,they would pay attention in this matter. 

Asking for the procurment? Kudo, that was brave of you. We do not have much to say in that case if they can prove them with the invoices and payment. Things become more legit as they travel through places, through more hands. If we were really serious, we CAN track them whether or not they were indeed stolen from Nepal. But how can we blame and go after them when we, Nepali, have sold our country for money a long time ago. Nobody cares these days.