UNUSUAL images of leading Buddhists feature in an exhibition at a North-East museum.
Enlightened Grotesques, at Durham's Oriental Museum, contains striking caricatures of Chinese holy men who attained nirvana.
The usual image of the serene-looking man of enlightenment is distorted in the pictures on display, which come from the museum's collection.
A museum spokesman said: "Based on a set of paintings more than 1,000 years old, they feature striking caricatures of legendary Buddhist holy men.
"These arresting images hint at the remarkable mystical nature of these individuals.''
The museum, run by Durham University, is the only one in the country that is devoted entirely to the art and archaeology of the cultures of the Orient.
The exhibition runs until Thursday, March 17, and is open on weekdays between 10am and 5pm, and at weekends from noon to 5pm.
Admission costs £1.50 for adults, 75p for concessions and a family ticket is £3.50.
For further details call the museum on 0191-334 6075.
The museum's deputy curator, Kevin McLoughlin, will give a talk about the exhibition on Saturday, February 19, at 2pm.
The exhibition coincides with Political Body, a display of propaganda posters from Communist China dating from the 1960s and 1970s.
Published: 29/01/2005
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