Organized both chronologically and according to their place of origin, the images are arranged in seventeen chapters. Each chapter is prefaced by an essay introducing the historical and cultural background from which the sculptures emerged, while each of the images in the subsequent catalogue is also accompanied by a lengthy textual entry which is the product of over a decade of research by the author and a team of consultant specialists in the iconography and epigraphy of Buddhist metal sculptures. Of great artistic and schorlarly interest, the sculptures in these two volumes fill out much of the landscape of Tibet's artistic heritage already known to us, while charting a great deal of territory few even suspected existed. This two-volume set is an indispensable reference work for any scholar, collector, and dealer in the field of Asian art, not to mention those directly involved with the art of the Buddhist world. Item # 16965 ISBN 9627049077 (Visual Dharma Publications) Price: $1,850.00

Content:
Sculpture is becoming known as one of China's great arts. Neolithic figurines, rows upon rows of underground terra-cotta statues, exquisite bronzes, Buddhas carved in cave walls, all these are part of a vast sculptural heritage. This gorgeous book, written by a team of eminent international scholars, is the first to offer a comprehensive history of Chinese sculpture. Spanning some seven thousand years, Chinese Sculpture explores a beautiful and diverse world of objects, many of which have come to light in recent decades.

The authors analyze and present, mostly in color, more than five hundred examples of Chinese sculpture, dividing China's rich and complex sculptural legacy into two parts: secular (tomb and mortuary art) and religious (Buddhist, Confucianist, and Daoist art). Throughout, the authors highlight the inventiveness, purposes, and brilliant execution of Chinese sculpture and comment on how the country's culture nurtured the practical and intellectual choices that shaped its sculptural traditions over the millennia. Item # 32631 ISBN 0300100655 (Yale University Press) Price: $80.00

**Due to its size and weight, the shipping cost is $7.95(USA address) and $25.00 (non-USA address)

Archaeological discoveries over the last fifty years have revolutionised knowledge about Chinese sculpture, revealing the length and strength of a hitherto unsuspected tradition stretching back to prehistoric times. This tradition was concerned with the powers of statuary. Unwritten, it was based on beliefs shared by all classes on the nature of the cosmos, the importance of maintaining contact with the ancestors and the idea that images contain power to influence events in the seen and unseen worlds.
With many previously unpublished photographs, the book traces the history of Chinese sculpture through the imperial period. By outlining the principles which underlie all forms of statuary, regardless of size and material, the text aims to elucidate the extent to which sculpture in China has been adapted to serve the political, practical and spiritual needs of its rulers through two thousand years. Sculptures were a vital part of palace, tomb, temple or other complexes intended to further harmony between worldly society and the cosmos. Item # 33241 ISBN 1932476288 (Serindia Publications) Price: $85.00

Based on wide reading of both Asian and Western-language scholarship and careful analysis of the architecture, epigraphy, and iconography of the site, Amy McNair provides a rich and detailed examination of the dynamics of faith, politics, and money at Longmen, beginning with the inception of the site at Guyang Grotto in 493 and concluding with the last major dated project, the forty-eight Amitabhas added to the Great Vairocana Image Shrine in 730. Item # 33389 ISBN 9780824829940 (University of Hawaii Press) Price: $58.00

Here, with profuse color illustrations, he presents 973 of the most brilliant examples of these Buddhist sculptures in a variety of materials including stone, wood and bronze. Organized by sculptural medium complete with plate descriptions that include each piece's current home institution, this volume is a useful tool for the connoisseur of Chinese buddhist sculptural arts. Item # 34445 ISBN 9787203056027 (Shanxi Renmin 山西人民) Price: $100.00

Situating his study in the gaps between conventional categories such as Buddhism, Daoism, and Chinese popular art, Abe examines works--including some of the earliest known examples of Buddha-like images in China--that were commissioned by patrons of modest standing and produced by nameless artists and artisans. Sophisticated and lucidly written, Ordinary Images offers an unprecedented exploration of the lively and diverse nature of image making and popular practices. Item # 23517 ISBN 0226000443 (University of Chicago Press) Price: $75.00

Using brilliant color photographs and detailed line drawings, Howard analyzes the caves in the didactic order intended by their creators, explaining their iconography and symbolism and the underlying meanings of both the individual elements and overall design. She leads the reader through the three dimensional mandala that provided the organizational framework for Baodingshan. Challenging the notion that China's Buddhist art was centered around the northern dynastic sites, the author places this magnificent construction within the context of an indigeneous style of Buddhist sculpture that flourished in Sichuan province between then 11th and 13th centuries. This multifaceted study offers intriguing insights into the religious world of Song dyansty Sichuan. Item # 17858 ISBN 0834804271 (Weatherhill, Inc.) Price: $45.00

Taoism and the Arts of China includes an engaging series of introductory essays by scholars with a deep understanding of their subjects. Among the topics discussed are a historical introduction to Taoism, archaeological evidence for early Taoist art, and a general introduction to the functions of art in religious Taoism. Lavishly illustrated with over 150 color images, this volume affords a sweeping view of an artistic terrain that until now has received too little exposure in the West. Its publication constitutes a major advance in Western understanding of this important tradition. Item # 15469 ISBN 0520227859 (University of California Press) Price: $80.00

Fully illustrated with over 140 color plates, this is an important study from an authoritative source in regards to the evolutionary movements made by Chinese sculpture. Item # 34330 ISBN 9787800476358 (Zijincheng 紫禁城出版社) Price: $22.50