Travelers trekked thousands of miles to see them. Emperors presented them as gifts. We will see the same sacred treasures for the first time in the Western World in the groundbreaking exhibition, Tibet: Treasures From The Roof Of The World. Exquisitely created sacred objects, all with great cultural significance, are making their first journey to the Western World. Tibet: Treasures From The Roof Of The World offers a rare glimpse into a culture both opulent and deeply spiritual. The exhibition features objects drawn exclusively from collections from the Dalai Lama's magnificent residence at the Potala Palace, as well as the recently established Tibet Museum in the magical Tibetan capital of Lhasa.

Shakya Yeshe received bountiful gifts from Emperor Yongle, including a black hat, which is clearly visible in the second of his two portraits included in this exhibition. (above)

The second and later of these two portraits is a slit-silk tapestry, which can be dated to the Xuande period (1426-1435), on the basis of the lengthy, woven title, which appears in both Chinese and Tibetan. This portrait shows Shakya Yeshe in the same posture and gesture as the first portrait, but here, he is cloaked in a sumptuously detailed robe with dragon designs and wears the Five-Buddha black hat (three Buddhas are visible here), recorded as a gift from Emperor Yongle. He sits on a Chinese-style throne similar to those seen in Ming Dynasty imperial portraits. On a typical Ming-style red lacquer table behind him, are an incense burner in the form of an ancient bronze vessel and an incense container. The large red seal that dominates the space above Shakya Yeshe's right shoulder replicates the Chinese-language seal given to him by Emperor Xuande.