What is prayer wheel? In this month’s #HimalayanArtUpClose video, Rubin Museum (rubinmuseum) senior curator Dr. Elena Pakhoutova and Smarthistory’s (smarthistory_official) Dr. Steven Zucker take a look at an ornate handheld prayer wheel, a ritual object that is ubiquitous in Tibetan Buddhist culture. The action of turning a prayer wheel with conscious intent is believed to “recite” or “read” the mantras, activating and releasing them into the world for the benefit of all. Visit the link in our bio to watch the full video! The Rubin Museum of Art has teamed up with Smarthistory to bring you an ‘up-close’ look at select objects from the Rubin’s preeminent collection of Himalayan art in #HimalayanArtUpClose. Keep following us for a new video each month! #himalayanart #tibetanbuddhism #museumcollection #rubinmuseum