Buddhist Book Illuminations

Handwritten as well as handprinted, books have played a fundamental role in spreading the message of the Buddha from India to various countries of Asia from the early centuries of the Christian era. Known commonly as sutras, Buddhist scriptures were carefully transcribed on palm-leaf, birch-bark, wood, cloth, paper (the medium for printed books) and even silver and gold. Certainly, by the eighth century, but possibly earlier, the Buddhists also began embellishing sutras with illustrations, and, thereafter, until the early part of this century, an enormous volume of illuminated books was produced in most countries where Buddhism has prevailed.

Curiously, to date, no single volume has covered the history of Buddhist book illumination. Thus, for the first time, two eminent scholars of Buddhist art, Pratapaditya Pal and Julia Meech-Pekarik, have written a concise and highly readable account of the history of this little-known but fascinating subject covering India, Nepal, Tibet, Sri Lanka, Burma, Thailand, Indonesia, China, Japan and Korea. Illuminated with 108 colour and over 130 black-and-white illustrations, this book will serve as a splendid introduction to the subject and stimulate others to explore this rich source for the understanding of Buddhism and its art.

337 pages, colour, English, 22.86 x 3.81 x 29.85 cm

Hardcover with slipcase

Published in 1988

ISBN: 0878173285

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