Buddhist Art and Architecture
 | World of ArtThames & Hudson, 1993, Paperback |
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Buddhism is the single common thread uniting the Asian world, from India to South-East Asia and through Central Asia to China, Korea and Japan. To guide and inspire believers, innumerable symbols and images were made, beginning in India in the 3rd century BC. This phenomenally diverse tradition includes not only frescoes, relief carvings, colossal statues, silk embroideries and bronze ritual objects but also rock-cut shrines with a thousand Buddhas, the glorious stupas of South-East Asia and the pagodas of the Far East, the massive "mandala in stone" of Borobudur in Java and entire 13th-century temple complexes at Angkor in Cambodia. The author describes all the Buddhist schools and cultures, and explains their imagery, from Tibetan cosmic diagrams and Korean folk art to early Sri Lankan sites and Japanese Zen gardens.
Title: Buddhist Art and Architecture (World of Art)
Sales Rank: 183967 in Books
Author: Robert E. Fisher
Publisher: Thames & Hudson, 1993-05, Paperback, 216 pages, ISBN: 0500202656
Package Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.9 x 0.6 inches, 1.05 pounds
- Revised Edition (2002)
- The 1993 edition of Fisher's "Buddhist Art and Architecture" was reprinted, with revisions, in 2002. The cover of the revised edition is like the 1993 edition (i.e. the Kansas Guanyin), but now framed within a diamond-shape which is inset into a black background. The text is current on recent scholarship, such as the role of aniconism in Early Buddhist art, and cosmological… More reviews
- A solid introduction
- I am an architectural historian with a fairly extensive knowledge of Buddhist architecture. Even though this is an introductory text, Fisher's book explained some things I've failed to find anywhere else. Another plus is that Fisher includes Buddhist art/architecture from every Buddhist country. Usually books of this type leave out countries for expediency. Though this book is short, Fisher touches it all.… More reviews
- A well organized introductory text
- Fisher's book offers an accessible, well-organized overview of both the evolution and meaning of Budhist art and architecture for the uninitiated. Never having studied Buddhism or Asian History prior to a recent trip to Southeast Asia, I found the balance between general explanations of subject matter and geographic breakdown useful. Returning to the book upon return, it was clear that most… More reviews
- A quick but thoughtful history of Buddhist Art in Asia
- As an instructor in Asian Arts and cultures survey courses, I am always looking for short works that give a quick overview of essential cultural elements across the wide spectrum of Asian experience. This book is excellent as a source book for understanding the breadth and beauty of Buddhist art forms throughout Asia.… More reviews
