Tibet: Life, Myth, and Art

Book Description
From the Publisher Tibet is a richly illustrated introduction to this extraordinary culture, presenting the art in all its glory. Examples range from monumental temples and vivid wall paintings to forests of prayer flags and exquisitely detailed devotional statues of Buddhas, deities, and saints. The book covers themes that have long preoccupied the popular imagination, including: the intricate, multicolored mandalas, which are a vision of the entire, unfolding universe; the hero-saints, who traveled through Tibet fighting the sprits of the mountains and valleys; the Dalai Lamas, eternally reborn incarnations of the great Bodhisattva of compassion; and the ferocious, sword-wielding, multilimbed gods that act as guardians to the land and its religions. These major themes, and many more, are interpreted visually through iconography, pattern, motif, and symbolism, as well as in terms of their underlying historical and spiritual significance. A superb addition to any library of art and imagination. Tibet sets new standards in capturing the achievements of a great civilization through the marriage of word and image.


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This richly illustrated volume, with a foreword by the Dalai Lama, explores the themes that have piqued the popular imagination about Tibet. In the light of iconography, pattern, motif, symbolism, pattern, as well as historical and spiritual perspectives, Willis (curator of North Indian and Himalayan collections at the British Museum) discusses topics including the intricate mandalas, the hero-saints, the Dalai Lamas, and the ferocious, sword-wielding multi-limbed gods that served as protectors of the land and religion. Specially commissioned artwork, maps, and color photographs showcase the culture against the broader context of the civilization's wisdom, spirituality, and mythology. Oversize: 10.5x10.5. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)


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