Tibetan Sacred Art

In the Tibetan highlands Buddhism flowered in the form known as Lamaism, and the presence of religious art in Tibet has been universal, extending even to remote and secluded regions. This comprehensive treatise examines this artistic heritage, aided by copious color plates and line drawings. The iconography of the great Buddhist masters and saints is presented and the mystic and revelatory functions of Tibetan religious art is elucidated.

Illustrates, explains and celebrates 241 examples of Tibetan sacred art of the 9th to 12th centuries. The authors discuss the religious meaning and use of tangkas, Buddhist iconography and the aesthetics of tangka paintings, sculpture and mandalas.

A black and white presentation of sacred art and statuary, along with an introduction to its meaning. This book includes 40 pages of black and white photographs and descriptions of fine Tibetan statues and paintings.

Accompanying an exhibition to be held in New York during late fall of 1998, Sacred Visions is a superbly illustrated volume of art works from the 11th to the mid-15th centuries which includes scholarly essays that relate to the paintings to be displayed.

For centuries the priciples of Buddhism have inspired Tibetan artists to create some of the world's most sophisticated, profound and beautiful art. Tangkas, paintings, sculptures and mandalas provide a window on the enlightened realm of pure wisdom, the perfected universe that represents the ultimate goal of Buddhism.