Tibet: Life, Myth, and Art

From monumental templates to vivid wall-paintings - a richly illustrated showcase for the art of Tibet in all its glory. Tibet is an eye-opening introduction to this extraordinary culture covering themes that have long preoccupied the popular imagination, including: the intricate, multicolored mandalas, which are a vision of the entire, unfolding universe; the hero-saints, who traveled through Tibet fighting the spirits of the mountains and valleys; the Dalai Lamas, eternally reborn incarnations of the Great Bodhisattva of Compassion; and the ferocious, sword-wielding, multilimbed gods that act as guardians to the land and its religions. These major themes, and many more, are interpreted visually through iconography, pattern, motif, and symbolism, as well as in terms of their underlying historical and spiritual significance. A superb addition to any library of art and imagination, Tibet sets new standards in capturing the achievements of this awe-inspiring civilization through the marriage of word and image. This book features a foreword by His Holiness the Dalai Lama.