Buddhist Tales of Kashmir in Tibetan Woodcuts: Narthang Series of the Woodcuts of Ksemendras Avadana-kalpalata
Rani, Sharda (Dr.) (Ed.) (Mrs. Lokesh Chandra)
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PRODUCT DETAILS
Book ID : 31911
ISBN-10 : 81-7742-065-8 / 8177420658
ISBN-13 : 978-81-7742-065-4 / 9788177420654
Place
of Publication :
Delhi
Year
of Publication :
2005
Edition : (Second Edition)
Language : English
93p., 31 Figs., 30 cm. (First Edition pub. in 1977) (Sata-Pitaka Series. Indo-Asian Literatures Volume 232)
CONTENTS
DESCRIPTION
Buddhist avadanas were epitomised by Ksemendra in AD 1052 in the 108 chapter of his Avadana-kalpalata, when the light of Buddhism and its artistic glories were flickering out in Kashmir. Ksemendra eternalised the beauty of the fading murals of the cloisters in the variegated hues of his poetic art to transcend the oblivion of time. Sakyasri the Great Pandita of Kashmir carried it along with his to Tibet in 1204. It was translated into Tibetan in AD 1272. It became a classic and a model for literary style in Tibetan. Ever since it was painted on scrolls of exquisite charm. In the 18th century, Gyur.med.ye.ses.rtse.brtan has thirty wooden blocks executed at the printery of the Narthang monastery, with a central woodcut, to illustrate the complete poem. The present volume reproduces the 31 woodcuts in their original xylographic form, as well as sketches to show the details. The reproductions are in the mega-size of 23x36 inches for the clarity of each detail. These are unique specimens of the Narrative Art of Tibet. The preface gives the history of the text and its depiction, as well as narrates the stories of the 108 avadanas. This book is a must for the History of Art in General, Development of Buddhist Art with special reference to Tibet, Literature and Visual Aesthetics, Indology, etc.
