Buddhist Art

[Thaibebop]

Hello,

My daughter is really getting into art and has asked for books about art. She has asked about books that deal with Buddhist Art. She went to the museum and really enjoyed the Buddhas and monks, so she wants to learn more. She will have a birthday in a few months and I wanted to find a book that dealt with Buddhist Art. I am looking for a coffee table type book that would teach her but at the same time really showcase in nice pictures the art itself. Doesn't have to be for kids either.

Could anyone suggest something? She does like the Theravadan art I have shown her, so I think she may be more interested in that, but anything tradition is fine.

Thank you everyone!

[David N. Snyder]

Hi Thaibebop,

I love Buddhist art too; Buddhist paintings, sculptures, statues, thangkas, and Buddhist architecture.

I have some older-dated books. You might want to do a search over at Amazon.com

Not sure how you feel about some of the thangkas or how old your daughter is. Some thangkas have the yab-yum posture of a bodhisattva in union with a consort. I don't care for those and don't own any, but many Buddhist art books do include images of those 'postures.'

[Jechbi]

This is decidedly not Theravada-related, but Dharma Art by Chogyam Trungpa is available used on Amazon for less than USD $6. An interesting little book.

[Thaibebop]

Thanks guys! I am not avoiding any kind of Buddhist art but I am not looking for, shall we say some postures. If she sees them, she sees them and I will explain, but why push the issue, right?

[Pannapetar]

Lots of material on Buddhist art is available in Thailand. The Bangkok national museum houses a high-profile antiques gallery ranging from early Gandharan, Dvaravati and Srivijaya to Sukhothai and later style images. Then there is a private museum on Pattanakarn road in Bangkok that has a beautiful collection of antique Buddhas. It showcases the stylistic development from pre-Sukhothai to high classical Sukhothai, later U-Thai and Ayutthaya styles up to the Ratanakosin period. In addition, you find Burmese and Lao style sculpture. Check out "Buddhist Art and Architecture" by Robert E. Fisher and "The Art of Southeast Asia" by Philip Rawson. These are concise introductory (and affordable) books.

Cheers, Thomas

[Thaibebop]

Lots of material on Buddhist art is available in Thailand. The Bangkok national museum houses a high-profile antiques gallery ranging from early Gandharan, Dvaravati and Srivijaya to Sukhothai and later style images. Then there is a private museum on Pattanakarn road in Bangkok that has a beautiful collection of antique Buddhas. It showcases the stylistic development from pre-Sukhothai to high classical Sukhothai, later U-Thai and Ayutthaya styles up to the Ratanakosin period. In addition, you find Burmese and Lao style sculpture. Check out "Buddhist Art and Architecture" by Robert E. Fisher and "The Art of Southeast Asia" by Philip Rawson. These are concise introductory (and affordable) books.

Cheers, Thomas

Thanks! Which book would be more kid friendly do you think? I have thought to ask her Grandparents, still living in Thailand to send something but I need to ask for something speicfic, they have a ahrd time with picking out things.

[Pannapetar]

Sorry, you did not tell me how old your daughter is. These aren't really kid books. The mentioned museums would probably bore the daylights out of most kids, since they are usually not into antiques... Best is probably to go to a Thai book store and check out the children section.

Cheers, Thomas

[Thaibebop]

Sorry, you did not tell me how old your daughter is. These aren't really kid books. The mentioned museums would probably bore the daylights out of most kids, since they are usually not into antiques... Best is probably to go to a Thai book store and check out the children section.

Cheers, Thomas

My daughter loves the museum but that is different from looking through a book that would be college level or better, which is why I hesitate to buy one like that.

A Thai book store?!! I would love to see such thing, but we are in the middle of America. The internet is our only hope for meida based in the topics of Thailand. Thanks all the same though!