The Beginnings Of Buddhist Art And Other Essays In Indian And Central-Asian Archaeology

Need we remark that, where religious art and archeology are the theme, literature and literary history cannot be far away? The author has commented upon the predominantly narrative character of the bas reliefs with which he is dealing it may indeed be said that, apart from purely decorative figures and symbols, the great bulk of them are illustrations of scenes from the life of the Buddha. A history of Buddhist Art is a task for the future; may we someday have the pleasure of welcoming a systematic treatise upon the subject from the author’s own pen. For the present we are only at the commencement. Nothing guarantees us that in its beginnings the Art shall be found on a level with the doctrine, or that it shall follow a parallel course, or again that it shall develop with a proportional rapidity. This volume, originally written in French, is a collection of his essays and addresses in various serial and periodical publications. It contains nine informative essays on this subject. They are The beginnings of Buddhist art, The representations of Jatakas on the bas-reliefs of Barhut, Eastern Gate of the Sanchi Stupa, Checture at the Musee Guimet, Greek origin of the image of Buddha, The tulelary pair in Gaul and in India, The Great Miracle at Cravasti, The six tusked elephant, Buddhist art in Java and, Buddhist Maddona. The book has 50 plates and was first published in 1917.