Description

Immediate dispatch from Somerset. Nice book in great condition. Pages in excellent condition. Images are beautiful bright and vivid. No notes or highlighting. Repaired tear on back of dustcover. Small area on first pages affected by damp on bottom edge but not a major defect. See images. Fantastic book.

About the book >.>.> The art of the Northern kingdoms of Thailand was Bud- dhist and the Buddha image was at its core. These images were created not only as contemporary reminders of Gautama Buddha but were in themselves objects of re- spect and intense veneration. The purpose of traditional Buddhist art was not to delight the eye or “decorate” but to remind enlighten and instruct. For many years art historians considered the sculpture of Northern Thailand or Lan Na to be a minor tradition. This volume shows that Lan Na sculpture is an enormous body of work beginning with the Mon-Hariphunchai pe- riod of the eleventh century through the Classic period of Lan Na’s Golden Age in the fifteenth century up until Lan Na’s integration into the rest of Thailand. It is a tradi- tion of surprising diversity positioned alongside the other great Southeast Asian art traditions-the Dvaravati and Sukhothai in Thailand the Pagan in Burma and the Khmer in Cambodia. This comprehensive and attractive reference is divided into four parts: the historical and cultural background; the analysis of Northern Buddha images including ico- nography style techniques and dating; the types of Northern Buddha images; and associated Buddhist sculp- ture such as footprints and mythical creatures. The Bud- dha images are classified by style and date using those images with inscribed dates as the armature around which to cluster the undated statues. The images are analyzed in detail and placed in their historical cultural and religious context. Richly illustrated with photographs and line drawings this volume is an indispensable reference and guide to Buddha images and other Buddhist sculpture of Northern Thailand. (MP)