Temples of Gold: Seven Centuries of Thai Buddhist Paintings

Features

• Cover Type: Hard Cover with 240 pages
• Published by: George Braziller; Slipcase edition March 2001
• Written in: English
• ISBN 10 Number: 0807614769
• ISBN 13 Number: 978-0807614761
• Book Dimensions: 13.4 x 10.9 x 1.2 inches
• Weighs: 6.1 pounds

From Publishers Weekly
Even a confident lover of much Asian art may be surprised by the splendor and variety of the visual arts in Thailand. In Temples of Gold: Seven Centuries of Thai Buddhist Paintings, Bangkok art historian Santi Leksukhum (trans. by Kenneth Whitehead) demonstrates how Thai art evolved, what to look for in the paintings and how to see it; religious conventions, political events and several types of perspective are all explained. Photographer Gilles Mermet's (Mosaics of Roman Africa) 120 handsome, full-color images capture the splendors and oddities of Thai Buddhist murals, panels and architecture from sometimes-contorted, colorful battles and crowd scenes to elegant gold-and-black meditating Buddhas, surrounded by light or suspended amid the waves.

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal
This handsome book brings us to the wall paintings of Buddhist temples in Thailand. Leksukhum (art history, Univ. of Silkadorn, Bangkok) explores the history of these paintings, commenting on the styles of the Sukhothai and Ayutthaya schools, which flourished in the 13th through the 18th centuries, as well as on the Rattanakosin schools of the 18th and 19th centuries. The work traces the sources of artistic inspiration from ancient Buddhist texts, including The Three Worlds, Ten Great Jatakas, and episodes in the life of the Buddha. The murals, captured by the French photographer Gilles Mermet (Mosaics of Roman Africa: Floor Mosaics from Tunisia, LJ 2/1/97), reveal the inherent contradictions and harmonies at work in these large-scale paintings. A magnificently illustrated feast for art lovers, students of Buddhism, and art historians, this is one of the few books in the last two decades to focus on Buddhist art in Thailand. Recommended for deep art collections in academic and public libraries. Lucia S. Chen, NYPL
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Reader Reviews
Temples of Gold: Seven Centuries of Thai Buddhist Paintings by Sankti Leksukhum, et al is the first and (so far) only book dealing with South-East Asian culture to deserve my 5 star rating. The commentary is well-researched, easily read and flows hand-in-hand with the breathtaking reproductions of Thai narrative murals of the Sukhothai, Ayutthaya and later Rattanakosin periods. The publisher, George Brazillier, should also be commended on the splendid and meticulous execution and quality of the printing and the excellent choice of format, which make these amazing masterpieces of Thai art spring-up at the reader right from the printed page. Need I say more? If you like the subject matter - definitely go and buy this book. Comment | | (Report this)