In 1819; a group of British soldiers chanced upon the Ajanta caves; lying in a ravine of the Waghora river some 200 miles north-east of Bombay. Ranging in date from the 2nd century BC to the 6th century AD; the exquisite Buddhist paintings and sculptures that they found there now rank among the world's most important cultural treasures. Here; Benoy K. Behl captures some of the finest works of Buddhist art in all their glory and luminosity. The exquisite murals depict the Jatakas (tales of previous incarnations) of Lord Buddha; scenes of princely processions; ladies with their handmaidens; bejewelled animals; ascetics in monasteries and fantastical birds and beasts; all with a startling degree of sophistication. What is unique about the paintings is their humanity: the men and women of this world have the capacity to adore - they look upon each other with expressions of infinite caring. Ajanta provides virtually the only evidence remaining of painting styles that first developed in India and then travelled with the spread of Buddhism as far as Japan and Korea. potent symbol of the great beauty of India's rich artistic past.
#706289 in Books Cengage Learning 2012-01-01Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 9.00 x 1.25 x 6.25l; 2.00 #File Name: 0495913227736 pages
Review
0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Gives you the gist of East Asian historyBy CactusThis was a required textbook to read in my East Asian history class. I would say that for a class at the 200 level in undergrad; this book was definitely appropriate. The information is well organized; and the color images are crisp and a good supplement to the written content that accompanies them. Plus; after using this book for my class; I had an adequate understanding of major historical events and eras in Chinese and Japanese history; enough to be comfortable engaging in discussions with others who were interested in the subject.It’s too bad that the book focuses on Japan and China for the most part; largely ignoring the other nations that were a part of East Asian history. Sure; Japan and China are integral; but let’s not overlook the importance of Korea; Mongolia post-Mongol empire; and other distinctive cultural groups.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. okay bookBy CustomerOverall; this wasn't one of my favorite reads; I have also got feed back from colleagues who feel the same.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Five StarsBy Daniel Yenwell written
