Prague's Naprstek Museum, which is a part of the Czech National Museum, started on Monday an exhibition on the history and culture of west China's Tibet region, presenting items from the museum's collections that never went on display before.

Among the 300-plus items presented to the public, the most interesting ones include a Tibetan Buddha painting from the 18th century, a portrait of a high-ranking monk, which comes from a summer palace of the emperors from the Qing dynasty (1644-1911), and a wonderful decorated and gold-plated statue of Goddess Tara (Goddess of Peace and Protection originated as a Hindu goddess), said Helena Heroldova, curator of the exhibition.

The exhibition also includes panels in the museum yard showing photos taken by Czech photographer Josef Vanis during his tour of Tibet in the mid-1950s.