This Book Traces The History Of The Growth And Development Of The Art That Flourished At Sanchi Bharhut, Bodh-Gaya, Karla, Bhaja, Pithalkhora, Amaravati, Nagarjunakonda, Etc. Which Later Culminated In The Classical Art Of The Guptas.

A stunning showcase of exceptional and rare works of Buddhist art, presented to the international community for the first time The practice of Buddhism in Myanmar (Burma) has resulted in the production of dazzling objects since the 5th century. This landmark publication presents the first overview of these magnificent works of art from major museums in Myanmar and collections in the United States, including sculptures, paintings, textiles, and religious implements created for temples and monasteries, or for personal devotion. Many of these pieces have never before been seen outside of Myanmar. Accompanied by brilliant color photography, essays by Sylvia Fraser-Lu, Donald M. Stadtner, and scholars from around the world synthesize the history of Myanmar from the ancient through colonial periods and discuss the critical links between religion, geography, governance, historiography, and artistic production. The authors examine the multiplicity of styles and techniques throughout the country, the ways Buddhist narratives have been conveyed through works of art, and the context in which the diverse objects were used. Certain to be the essential resource on the subject, Buddhist Art of Myanmar illuminates two millennia of rarely seen masterpieces.

Illustrations: Numerous B/w Illustrations Description: Story-telling is an ever popular activity that occurs across space and time. Which child has not sat enthralled by the magic of story-tellers, and which adult has not succumbed to the seduction of reenactments of great legends? India's ancient Buddhists capitalized on the lure of stories, portraying them visually in stone reliefs and painted murals, to introduce viewers to the Buddhist faith and to confirm them in their belief. Commencing in the first century BC, Buddhist monasteries across the Indian subcontinent were extensively decorated with visual narratives of varying sizes, from a mere twelve inch panel to an extensive fifty foot wall. This book is a pioneering exploration of the manner in which stories are told. It identifies seven modes of visual story-telling used by the artist in early India, considers the reason for one mode being chosen over another, and explores how the effect of a story on the viewer varied according to the manner chosen to portray it. The book is a contribution to the expanding sphere of art, historical investigation and also to the field of Buddhist studies. Contents Preface Photographic Sources Discourse and Story 1. On Modes of Visual Narration 2. The Multivalent Sign in Early Buddhist Art 3. Text and Image II. Sites Of Narrative 4. Towards Narrative : Sanchi Stupa 5. Emergence of Visual Narrative : Bharhut Stupa 6. Narrative Achieves Assurance : Sanchi Stupa 7. Variations in Narrativity : Lesser Monasteries 8. Maturity of Narrative : Amaravati and Nagarjunakonda 9. Narrative Cycles at Gandhara 10. Ajanta's Painted Murals 11. The Narrative Tradition Recedes 12. Concluding Remarks

A pioneering study of the emergence of Buddhist art in southern India, featuring vibrant photography of rare works, many published here for the first time Named for two primary motifs in Buddhist art, the sacred bodhi tree and the protective snake, Tree & Serpent: Early Buddhist Art in India is the first publication to foreground devotional works produced in the Deccan from 200 BCE to 400 CE. Unlike traditional narratives, which focus on northern India (where the Buddha was born, taught, and died), this groundbreaking book presents Buddhist art from monastic sites in the south. Long neglected, this is among the earliest surviving bodies of Buddhist art, and among the most sublimely beautiful. An international team of researchers contributes new scholarship on the sculptural and devotional art associated with Buddhism, and masterpieces from recently excavated Buddhist sites are published here for the first time—including Kanaganahalli and Phanigiri, the most important new discoveries in a generation. With its exploration of Buddhism’s emergence in southern India, as well as of India’s deep commercial and cultural engagement with the Hellenized and Roman worlds, this definitive study expands our understanding of the origins of Buddhist art itself.