Guge--Ages of Gold: The West Tibetan Masterpieces
Product ID: 41585650
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Guge was a great Buddhist kingdom in Western Tibet. Today, only ruins remain of the once-splendid civilization, but, over seven hundred years, its rulers were passionate patrons of the arts who commissioned vast temple complexes, richly ornamented and filled with art and furniture by Kashmiri master craftsmen. The grand, spacious temples of Guge are all the more captivating because of the kingdom’s sudden, mysterious disappearance. To create Guge —Ages of Gold, photographer Peter van Ham and collaborators gained access to Guge’s temple complexes and monasteries—many of which are no longer accessible to photographers—and shows for the first time the art and artifacts that have survived to the present day, from both the Indian and the Tibetan sides of Guge and spanning the entire time period. Among the sitesdocumented are the monasteries Tholing, Tsaparang, and Dungkar, in addition to Serkhang, the “Golden Temple,” which contains many beautiful murals completed in the sixteenth century during the second of Guge’s two golden ages, when the formal and stylistic direction of Guge’s art became characterized by a blend of Kashmiri traditions and Nepalese and Chinese influences. A concise text accompanies the images, bringing in the latest research on Guge and the art and culture of western Tibet. Guge is a wonder of the world, yet few photographers have had the opportunity to capture it—and even fewer with such vision and technical skill. Guge —Ages of Gold seeks to preserve this rich artistic and cultural heritage. Review: Dazzling Tibetan Religious Art from a Lost Kingdom - What a wonderful book; it makes the splendid art treasures of Western Tibet, hidden away in the virtually inaccessible ruined cities of Tsaparang and Tholing, in the stony desert of S. W. Tibet, available in beautifully produced and detailed reproductions with a highly informative artistic and historical commentary. Van Ham includes historical photographs which document some of the many beautiful objects that were lost forever during the brutal vandalism of the so-called Great Cultural Revolution. It's a must-have for anyone with an interest in Tibetan religion and culture. The only significant problem is the lack of an index. Can't understand why this feature, which would make the book so much easier to use, was omitted. Hope that it will be included if there is a second addition. Review: Five Stars - amazingly great quality beautiful colors
| Best Sellers Rank | #2,581,238 in Books ( See Top 100 in Books ) #470 in Monument Photography #907 in Landmarks & Monuments #1,124 in Buddhist History (Books) |
| Customer Reviews | 4.9 out of 5 stars 13 Reviews |
M**T
Dazzling Tibetan Religious Art from a Lost Kingdom
What a wonderful book; it makes the splendid art treasures of Western Tibet, hidden away in the virtually inaccessible ruined cities of Tsaparang and Tholing, in the stony desert of S. W. Tibet, available in beautifully produced and detailed reproductions with a highly informative artistic and historical commentary. Van Ham includes historical photographs which document some of the many beautiful objects that were lost forever during the brutal vandalism of the so-called Great Cultural Revolution. It's a must-have for anyone with an interest in Tibetan religion and culture. The only significant problem is the lack of an index. Can't understand why this feature, which would make the book so much easier to use, was omitted. Hope that it will be included if there is a second addition.
S**S
Five Stars
amazingly great quality beautiful colors
M**H
Five Stars
Beautiful book.
C**N
Four Stars
Great jnb
P**.
Must have for Himalayan art
Wonderful images, well written and explained by expert author Anyone interested in Himalayan art should get this book. Everybody who's about to visit these temples should read it before going
A**D
This is wonderful, as those paintings are suffering from weather damage
This book is so glorious, any words from me are inadequate to describe it. Phenomenal photography and descriptions. One chapter covers Nako in Spiti. This is wonderful, as those paintings are suffering from weather damage, so this record is much needed. Other caves and monasteries in Tibet that are over the border from Spiti in India are also featured. So this book is wonderful for those of us who have been to Spiti (and Ladakh) to explore the Buddhist paintings and sculptures, but have not been able to visit Tibet. Looking forward to the 3rd book in the series.
A**I
A cultural iconography of western Tibetan Renaissance as it happened ...
A cultural iconography of western Tibetan Renaissance as it happened through its monastic tradition, recorded by ardous wanderings in remote regions of Western Tibet. After Francke and Tucci, this work goes on to establish the cultural magnificence of western Tibet to its unparalleled heights. Marvelous work !
D**N
A visual feast
As well as being an excellent introduction to the subject, I think this book deserves praise for its excellent value, combining high production values, good editing and wonderful photography. Normally (alas) books of this standard on Tibetan art cost a multiple of this. It is to be recommended as a affordable, accessible and beautifully put together insight into west Tibetan art and its context.
P**R
The way a book like this should be done.
Fantastic book. Well thought out and laid out for the layman to follow. The quality of the pictures and the paper are excellent. Obviously a lot of thought went into this book. A joy to read; the pictures enhance the text and are of superior quality.
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