Buddhist Treasures from Nara - Hardcover

Michael R. Cunningham

9780940717480: Buddhist Treasures from Nara

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0940717484 ISBN 13: 9780940717480

Publisher: Hudson Hills, 1998

This magnificent volume commemorates a historic exhibition that brought early Buddhist treasures from Japan's ancient capital, mostly from the Nara National Museum, on their first visit to the West. Here are 87 transcendent masterpieces: archaeological finds, paintings, sculpture,crafts, and calligraphy from the seventh through the fourteenth centuries, works that capture Buddhism's yearning for a state of grace and for communion with the divine.

"synopsis" may belong to another edition of this title.

From Library Journal:

Buddhist art reflects the culture that created it, and the wide divergence of expression in Buddhism is well illustrated by these two catalogs of Tibetan and Japanese art. Not only are the two countries far distant, but their understanding of the precepts of Buddha are radically different. The Tibetan paintings presented in Sacred Visions are attempts to elucidate the mysteries of Tantric or Esoteric Buddhism. Intricate mandalas, multilimbed deities linked in sexual union, serene monks, and images of the many concepts of Buddha are well illustrated in vibrant color photos, each accompanied by a page of religious explanation and artistic analysis. The vivid colors and intricate designs are well conveyed, but slick paper and modern printing don't do justice to the velvety surface of the originals. The Japanese treasures from Nara are so beautifully photographed that it is a pity the photographers are not credited; their contribution matches that of the three writers. Conveying the three-dimensionality of sculpture in photographs is a subtle and exacting art, and the Cleveland Museum has created an exhibition catalog that will have lasting value by virtue of its attention to the quality of photography and printing. The broader range of both the text and the objects illustrated?sculpture, paintings, ceramics, furniture, and bronzes?will bring a broader audience to Buddhist Treasures from Nara, while the narrow focus of Sacred Visions will increase its value to scholars of religion and art.?David McClelland, Philadelphia
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

"About this title" may belong to another edition of this title.