Art
of India : Prehistory to the Present/edited by Frederick M. Asher.
New Delhi, Encyclopaedia Britannica, 2003, vi, 501 p., colour plates, ISBN
0-85229-813-7.
Art
of India : Prehistory to the Present/edited by Frederick M. Asher.
New Delhi, Encyclopaedia Britannica, 2003, vi, 501 p., colour plates, ISBN
0-85229-813-7.
Contents: Foreword. Preface. I. The historical record: 1. Introduction. 2. Prehistory. 3. Protohistory, 3000-1200 BCE. 4. Chiefdoms and kingdoms, 1200-400 BCE. 5. Imperial state and peripheral kingdoms, 400-150 BCE. 6. The period of mercantile communities, c. 150 BCE-400 CE. 7. The creation of Sanskritic cultures, 300-750. 8. Formation of regional states, c. 750-1300. 9. Establishing regional identities for South India, 1300-1550. 10. Establishing regional identities for North India, 1200-1550. 11. Mughal centre and periphery, 1550-1750. 12. Art of South India, c. 1550-1750. 13. The period of colonialism and nationalism, c. 1757-1947. 14. Contemporary art: introduction. 15. Contemporary art of India. 16. Contemporary art of Pakistan. 17. Contemporary art of Bangladesh. 18. Contemporary art of Sri Lanka. II. Genres in context: 1. Architecture. 2. Sculpture. 3. Painting. 4. Photography. 5. Gardens. 6. Epigraphy. 7. Numismatics. 8. Textiles. 9. Crafts. III. Guide to the arts. Glossary. Index.
"This book is a culmination of Encyclopaedia Britannica’s effort to write anew, the history of Indian visual art. It includes not only a narrative tracing of the history but also briefer articles on specific sites and individuals.
"Histories of art occasionally fail to recognize a dynamic present. That is all the more the case with Asian art, which is too often deemed to have lost its Asian-ness when it becomes part of a global contemporary art movement, forgetting, of course, that India, like most of Asia, has been linked with a global culture since protohistoric times. This volume, therefore, is very much more inclusive in order to recognize visual culture broadly conceived rather than just what more conventionally might be called art.
"Art of India is intended as more than a picture book. It is a book about art. Renowned world-experts have written the very rich content. To ensure comprehensive coverage, the text has been separated under three section headings – historical record, genres in context, and guide to the arts. The second section addresses Indian art by medium. Section three has short articles covering all such places and individuals that have influenced the Indian subcontinent’s visual art over the years." (jacket)