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                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: FRIDAY, January 10, 1992                   TAG: 9201100362
SECTION: EXTRA                    PAGE: E-7   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: 
DATELINE: RICHMOND                                LENGTH: Short

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FINE-ARTS MUSEUM HITS HIMALAYAN HEIGHTS

The acquisition of a collection of Nepalese and Tibetan sculptures, paintings and other artworks promises to put the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts in the top rank in Himalayan art, museum officials say.

Museum trustees have approved the acquisition of 54 works owned by Berthe and John Ford of Baltimore, including 15th-century thankas - religious paintings on cloth - tapestries, mandalas and 14th-century gold and silver sculpture. The Fords will donate 28 of the works, the rest will be purchased with private funds.

Dr. Joseph Dye III, the museum's curator of Asiatic art, says the museum's collection "will now rank with the Los Angeles County Museum as America's premier institution for Himalayan art and internationally with the Musee Guimet in Paris."

- Associated Press

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