Reading Buddhist Art Paperback – April 1, 2004

A very detailed and very helpful book. It covers geographically the complete Buddhist sphere and it covers in great detail many aspects of Buddhist iconography. It is not a guidebook, however, and not the type of book to carry in a backpack for quick reference.

Every aspect of Buddhist clearly described, like gods, realms, postures, and mudras, Arrived on time.

colorfull and well written. as welll .as thames and hudson always delivers a fine product. a real treasure. a great find.

Imagine yourself in an Asian museum, or some Asian art shop, on whose wall hangs a scroll that depicted some sort of a Buddhist figure. Assuming that you're someone who is interested in art, wouldn't it only be natural that you turn curious in the identity of the figure? This book, in my view contrary to the negative reviews, does a great job in meeting such need.The main part of book assumes a very convenient two-page format. The left hand side page consists entirely of photographs and illustrations. This side serves as the index -- as described above, you are to scan through these pictures to find which figure (Shakyamuni, Vairochana, Maitreya, etc), posture (standing Buddha, sitting Buddha, etc), artifact, mudra (hand gesture that is believed in the Vajrayana sect to facilitate reaching enlightenment faster) you seek to identify. To the right are explanations of related symbolism, function, different representations, convenient cross references, and even transliterations of the name of the identity in question into various languages (mostly Sanskrit, Chinese, Japanese; less Korean, Vietnamese, Mongolian).The book evidently isn't meant to be exhaustive. As repeatedly said, I think it is to serve as an introduction to the field. Criticizing the book for being short is equivalent to saying that no introductory book deserves to be written. No doubt there could be more detailed and thoroughly researched references in the field. Yet for beginners like myself brevity has its own merits (though in the long run I might have to purchase one of those more detailed references).Having said this much, some mundane criticism of my own: 1) all photos are in black and white, and a bit too small to allow for appreciation of the details -- imagine a colorful mandala (a geometric diagram that depicts the Buddhist universe) enclosed in a 4x4 inch black-and-white box. 2) In many cases the explanation on the right hand side page does not match the gesture in the accompanying illustrations.

With its excellent organization, concise explanations in clear language, and straightforward iconographic drawings, my entry level students found Reading Buddhist Art a welcome clarifying light upon a subject that is often impenetrably intricate and arcane. They were enthusiastic about this book. McArthur's achievement is first her neutrality; she does not emphasize one branch of Buddhism over another but rather by revealing the uniting threads in a religion that expresses itself in wide variation among disparate cultures and eras, she offers an overview that allows students to attain a secure foundation of concepts as revealed through art. Second is her exceptionally well designed, easy to follow, structured organization, in which the important particulars of Buddhism are revealed according to this cosmic yet also international and historical scope, and the intricacies of symbolism are shown to have a logic that unites iconography from seeming details to major architectural forms. Short, well-written opening essays focused on history and fundamental concepts precede a pictorial survey of the essential pantheon, presented individually in hierarchical order according to the original Indian name. Each deity is accompanied by a subordinate list of major variant names as they appear in different countries, and a brief yet thorough introductory description supported by comparative iconographic illustrations. This is followed by explanations of minor symbolism, major architectural monuments, a glossary of important terms, and other essential information. The beauty of this text is that it encourages students to learn actively, from what they can see, rather than bog themselves down in abstract descriptions of doctrine. It can stand alone as a beginner's guide in at a museum or temple site, and also function as a superb supporting reference in a general introductory class. McArthur has given any interested entry-level person the means to create a solid foundation on which more specialized advanced studies can be securely built.

Ti interessi al buddismo e vuoi capire la sua simbologia? Sei curioso di sapere il significato di un'opera d'arte buddista?Questo libro è fondamentale, un'opera di riferimento da tenere sempre a portata di mano.Super comprensibile, spiega passo passo le molte opere presenti abbondantemente corredate da foto.