How does a painting capture the sound of devotion? A procession of musicians and carefully rendered instruments animates this 1902 Newar paubha (scroll painting) from Nepal. The drums and cymbals depicted reflect the important role of devotional music in Newar Buddhist life in the Kathmandu Valley. The scene has a living parallel during Gumla, a sacred month beginning August 13 and rooted in the ancient Buddhist rainy-season retreat. Newar Buddhists deepen their practice through prayer, fasting, generosity, and pilgrimages to sacred sites. During early-morning pilgrimages, neighborhood ensembles accompany devotees, transforming individual acts of prayer into shared expressions of devotion. Look closely for the musician playing cymbals, then compare them with a Mongolian set also held in our collection—currently on view at the Rubin Museum Tibetan Buddhist Shrine Room at the Brooklyn Museum (brooklynmuseum). Created in different cultural contexts, the two objects show how music can c...