Behind Tibet’s Potala Palace - seat of the Dalai Lamas since 1649 - lies a sacred lake said to be inhabited by serpent-like deities call Lu. There, on a willow-covered island, stands a small pagoda-roofed Khang, or temple. During the brief reign of the Sixth Dalai Lama, unknown artists created a series of wonderful paintings on the walls of the temple’s private chapel. Comparable in quality and ambition to the Sistine Chapel in Rome, these masterpieces of Tibetan art are reproduced for the first time in this extraordinary publication.
At the heart of this book are 150 colour photographs of the Lukhang temple and its murals, brilliantly taken in the most challenging conditions by photographer Thomas Laird. Ian Baker’s text, which places these rich and remarkable works within their religious and artistic context, also explains the figures, events and symbols depicted, and is further augmented by translations of the original Tibetan inscriptions that accompany many of the wall paintings. Introduced by His Holiness the Dalai Lama, whose own commentary on specific images enriches this volume immeasurably, the book is embellished by ink brush drawings by contemporary Tibetan masters.
This treasure of Tibetan Buddhist art and spirituality is presented in a magnificent and sumptuous large-format edition. The vivid detail, rich colour and awe-inspiring impact of this path to enlightenment can at last be experienced and admired by all.
Format:
320 x 240 mm, 216 pp., 188 illus., 150 c., hardback
Anul apariţiei:
2000
fond special / librărie / colecţie particulară / anticariat /
