Essays
on Buddhist Hindu Jain Iconography & Epigraphy/Gouriswar Bhattacharya.
Edited by Enamul Haque. Dhaka, The International Centre for Study of Bengal Art,
2000, 654 p., plates, maps, $110. ISBN 984-31-0854-X. [Studies in Bengal Art Series :
No. 1.]
Contents: Preface. I. Buddhist iconography: 1. 1980, Stupa as Maitreya’s Emblem. 2. 1985, Buddha Sakyamuni and Panca-Tathagata : Dilemma in Bihar-Bengal. 3. 1985, The newly discovered Buddhist temple at Nalanda. 4. 1986, Notes on three inscribed Buddhist sculptures. 5. 1986, Two inscribed Buddhist images from the Museum of Indian Art , Berlin. 6. 1990, Buddha Sakyamuni under the mango tree. 7. 1991, An outstanding image of a Buddhist deity seated on a lion. 8. 1995, Kanchi monks at Kukkutapada-giri-Vihara. 9. 1995, The dual role of Ganesh in the Buddhist Art of South Asia. 10. 1996, The Buddhist deity Vajrapani. 11. 1996, The magnificent bronze image of Vajrasatva from Mainamati. 12. 1997, A dated Avalokitesvara image of the Devapala period. II. Hindu iconography: 13. 1977, Nandin and Vrsabha. 14. 1984, Representation of Nandin in medieval stone sculptures from Bengal. 15. 1986, A special type of Devi figure from Bihar and Bengal. 16. 1986, Identification of a strange relief from Bihar. 17. 1987, The God Pradyumnesvara and two interesting Hari-Hara figures from South Bihar. 18. 1987, A solitary illustration of eight Lokapalas from South Bihar. 19. 1987, Three bronze images of the snake-Goddess from Bihar. 20. 1989, a unique Danapati-relief. 21. 1989, Deva: Caturmukha-Pancamukha: Brahma & Siva: Silpa Sastras and art objects. 22. 1990, Nagendravahini Devi the snake-Goddess on an elephant mount. 23. 1990, Early Ramavana illustration from Bangladesh. 24. 1991, The so-called "Abhicarika-Murti" of Visnu. 25. 1991, The so-called Rsyasrnga. 26. 1991, The munificence of lady Catuhsama. 27. 1992, A unique Visnu image from the Bangladesh National Museum. 28. 1993, Identification of a group of strange sculptures from Bengal. 29. 1993, Soma—the Hindu moon God. 30. 1994, Inscribed image of a Saivacarya from Bengal. 31. 1996, Trio of prosperity: a Gupta Terracotta plaque from Bangladesh. 32. 1997, A unique bronze image from Bangladesh. 33. 1999, Visnu assuming the boar form. 34. 1999, The five deities of Pancopasana. III. Jain iconography: 35. 1992, Two inscribed images of the Jaina Mahisamardini. 36. 1995, The bhale symbol of the Jainas. IV. Epigraphy: 37. 1982, Susilpin Amrita. 38. 1984, On the fragmentary, bi-scriptural pedestal inscription from Mathura. 39. 1985, Two interesting items of the Pala period. 40. 1987, Dana-Deyadharma: donation in early Buddhist records (in Brahmi). 41. 1988, The new Pala ruler Mahendrapala: discovery of a valuable charter. 42. 1988, The physician poets of Magadha. 43. 1987, New light on the dating of Mahisantosh image of the Sun-God. 44. A puzzling report on a British Museum Buddhist pedestal incription. 45. 1992, The new Pala ruler Mahendrapala. 46. 1992, Note on an inscribed copper vase from the collection of the Bangladesh National Museum. 47. 1994, Newly discovered copper plate grants of the Pala dynasty. 48. 1995, A new Pithipati. 49. 1996, Discovery of a new Pala ruler. 50. 1996, Donors of a few Tara images from Magadha or South Bihar. 51. 1996, A preliminary report on the inscribed metal vase from the National Museum of Bangladesh. 52. 1997, Bangladesh National Museum Prasasti of Pahila (9 century A.D.). 53. 1998, importance of epigraphy as a Branch of Indology for the Study of Indian Art. 54. 1998, A dated Visnu image of the Mahipala (1) period. 55. 1999, Nalanda Vagisvari and Mandhuk Ganesa: are they of the same period? Bibliography of Gouriswar Bhattachary’s articles.
"This anthology, coming from a scholar as erudite as Dr. Gouriswar Bhattacharya undoubtedly represents a major advance in our knowledge of Buddhist, Hindu and Jain iconography as well as the epigraphy, particularly for the region of Bangladesh and Eastern India. The historians, art historians, epigraphists and archaeologists, however they may be categorised, would benefit from the painstaking deliberations of Dr. Bhattacharya. It is well known that in matters of epigraphy, the author truly learned his subject at the feet of that great savant, Professor D.C. Sircar. Initially working for nearly a decade in the office of the Government Epigraphist for India, under the guidance of Professor Sircar, Dr. Bhattacharya ultimately moved to Berlin and worked there for nearly three decades with Dr. H. Hartel in the Museum of Indian Art. The distinguished epigraphist thus went deep into the study of art objects and gradually established himself as the foremost among the specialists in Buddhist, Hindu and Jain iconography and Sanskrit epigraphy, particularly related to Bihar and Bengal. Since his retirement from the Berlin Museum in 1989, it is heartening to see him teaching in the Institute of Indian Philology and Art History of the Berlin Free University." (jacket)
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