xxvii, 370p., Illus. 333 Col. & B/W., Index, 29 cm.
CONTENTS
DESCRIPTION
The collection of studies of Indian and East Asian Art and Iconography is a considerable assemblage of essays. Though it deals with selected topics relating to iconographic and archaeological art, it touches, sporadically though, almost the entire range of Indian art-history and salient periods of East Asia. Nonetheless, the treatment although and documented. Though by character the studies are not an all-inclusive one, they afford a glimpse of the artendeavours of most regions covered. With thirty and odd essays, appelled as chapters classed under sections, the subjects are surely as varied as they are interesting. Though art is known to be mostly inspired by religion, these essays reveal often a transcending trend over all bounds of cults and faiths. They have touched upon art and iconography equally as they have mused on epigraphy and numismatics. And, all are aided by appropriate illustrations in which excellence and fineness of details have been kept as the primary aim. Further, these illustrations are not confined to the specific instances always as dealt with in the text, but they also include, as thought expedient, outside the immediate discussion, those that are considered useful, as expanded and comparable material, specially to help researches ahead whenever possible. With a readable and lucid style in the treatment of the subjects taken up, the wide spread-out of the topics and the problems set are marked by a promiscuity of arrangement which is deli-berate. Deliberate so as to infuse an element of relief from the boredom that might be engendered often by the inherent dryness of the themes.
