The Himalayas in Indian Art/E.B. Havell. Reprint. First published in 1924. xvi, 94 p., 24 plates, $18.
Contents: Preface. Introduction. I. The Indian order of architecture: 1. The Himalayas as the creator's shrine and the world pillar. II. Indian pilgrimages: 1. The Kailasa temple at Ellora and its relation to the Himalayan shrine. 2. Vaishnava temples and their Himalayan symbolism. 3. The symbolism of the datura and lotus flowers. III. The mountain deified: 1. The Gandharan school. 2. The Yogi type of Buddhist image and its derivation from a pre-Buddhist archetype. 3. The relic casket of Kanishka and its Himalayan symbolism. 4. The Buddha as the univeral pillar. 5. The Himalayan derivation of Indian iconography and the philosophic classification of Hindu images. IV. The sacred dance: 1. Siva as the Lord of the cosmic dance. 2. The dance of destruction and the dance of the setting sun. 3. Kali's dance and its symbolism. 4. Varieties of the sacred dance. 5. Siddhas and Siddhis. 6. The Himalayan inspiration of Indian art. V. The livingness of Indian art: 1. Modern art in India and in Europe. 2. The economics of Indian art. 3. The Indian master builder. 4. Indian railway-stations and churches. 5. Art and departmentalism. 6. The future of Indian art. Index.
From the preface: "This monograph, which represents the forlong bequest lectures given at the School of Oriental Studies, 1924, offers a new approach to the study of Indian art, by way of the Himalayas--certainly the surest and most direct path for arriving at the central ideas of the Indian artist and craftsman. Public interest for the moment is concentrated on Himalayan scientific exploration. The Himalayas offer equal opportunities for artistic research : they have always been the pivot of Indian religious art. The Indian order of architecture, the design of Indian temples, and the symbolism of the principal figures in Indian iconography are all focussed on the Himalayas. Since the publication of my Indian Sculpture and Painting in 1908 the literature of Indian art has been constantly growing; the present work is partly a summary, partly a revision, and partly a completion of my previous studies. It presents concisely the leading ideas of the Indian temple builder, sculptor, and painter, and connects the artistic traditions of India with Indian daily life and work."