Exhibition Catalogues
Alexandra David-Néel - Une aventurière au musée
EP196416
In 1924, at the age of 56, Alexandra David-Néel (1868-1969), a woman with a romantic and extraordinary destiny, became the first European to visit Lhasa in Tibet.
Singer, journalist, orientalist, writer, philosopher and above all explorer, she was the first Westerner to penetrate the holy city of Lhasa after five attempts and a journey of over 3,000 kilometers across the Himalayas.
Fascinated by Asia since her youth, she converted to Buddhism in 1889 and, after a first trip to India in 1891, and a tour as a cantatrice in Tonkin in 1895-1897, she decided to leave again in 1911 for 18 months, but in fact spent...14 years there, traveling the continent from coast to coast. She learned idioms, translated manuscripts, met sages and scholars, then tried her hand at meditation before returning to France to settle in a Tibetan-style home near Digne les Bains. The constancy and support of her husband (since 1904), Philippe Neel, proved decisive in helping her on this journey.
She met the Dalai Lama, lived for several years with one of the greatest gomchens and had the privilege of being taught by him. Following this apprenticeship, her master, the gomchen of Lachen, gave her the religious name of Yshé Tömé, "Lamp of Wisdom", which later earned her recognition by Buddhist authorities wherever she went in Asia.
This book features a wide selection of the sculptures, paintings and ritual objects Alexandra brought back from her travels.
Co-published with the Musée des Art asiatiques - Guimet
