Introduction to Buddhist Art

Contents: Introduction. I. India: 1. Ancient India. 2. The earlier Gandhara school. 3. Mathura school in the Kushan period. 4. Caves of western India. 5. The Andhra school. 6. The later Gandhara school. 7. The Gupta period. 8. The beginning of the mediaeval period. II. South-East Asia: 1. Sri Lanka. 2. Java. 3. Sumatra. 4. Kamboja. 5. Champa. 6. Thailand. 7. Burma. III. Central Asia: 1. Afghanistan. 2. The southern route of Chinese Turkistan. 3. The northern route of Chinese Turkistan. 4. Qyzil Ming-oi. 5. The northern route of Chinese Turkistan. IV. China: 1. Cave temples at Yun-kang. 2. Cave temples in the early period. 3. Sacred statues in the early period. 4. The Pei Ch'i (550-577) and Pei Chou (577-681) periods. 5, The Sui period. 6. The T'ang period. V. Korea and Japan: (A) Korea: 1. Ancient period. 2. The period of the unification by Shilla. (B) Japan: 3. The Asuka (552-644) and the Hakuho periods (645-723). 4. The Nara period (726-783). 5. The former Heian period (784-901) painting 336.

"This book is a panoramic survey of the history of Buddhist art from its origins in India to its final effloresence in Japan. Prof. Yamamoto gives the main outlines of its evolution in India, Sri Lanka, Indonesia, Kambuja, Vietnam, Thailand, Burma, Afghanistan, Chinese Turkristan, China, Korea and Japan. Beginning with the Asokan pillars with their intact capitals, Sanci, Bhaja, Andhra, Bharhat, Mathura, Ajanta, Bedsa, Nasik, Pithalkora, it covers all the major Buddhist monuments of India. The techniques of the early Gandhara school have been described at length for all parts of the body (head, eyebrow, nose, eyes, mouth, ear, face, throat etc.) and halo, kasaya, mudra, posture, colouring, etc. Prof. Yamamoto presents in a succinct manner his own observations of a life-time study of the Gandhara school in the early period when it was mostly stone sculpture and in the later period when it was dominantly stucco images. Mathura school in the Kushan period and its relationship to Gandhara has been detailed. He has adduced reasons for the ivories of Begram to have been carved at Mathura p.55). Chapter on the Gupta period is of special significance, as the Gupta idiom had a wide-ranging influence on the whole of Buddhist art. The Buddha statues in Mathura and Sarnath have been compared. The diffusion of the Buddha statues of Sarnath to South East Asia takes us to further Asia."

Chikyo Yamamoto is Professor Emeritus at the Koyasan University and formerly Director of the Reihokan Museum, Koyasan. His books include Introduction to the Mandala, History of Mantrayana and History of Indian art.