Some of the most important Tibetan Buddhist monuments to have survived the ravages of history are the temples and chapels at Gyantse in Southern Tibet. In a chapel on the upper floor of the Palkhor Tsuglagkhang there exist superb wall paintings of the legendary eighty-four mahasiddhas – tantric adepts who, through effort and practice, have attained perfection and are endowed with extraordinary powers. 
 These 15th-century images are the most splendid extant painted representations of mahasiddhas in Tibet, yet they have never been published as an entire cycle until now. This has largely been due to the exceedingly difficult task of identification. 
 Empowered Masters: Tibetan Wall Paintings of Mahasiddhas at Gyantse illustrates and describes these important murals. Each of the vivid masters is wonderfully presented; each has a name inscribed in Tibetan script. The stories of the mahasiddhas depict unorthodox, existential lives that encompass all of human experience, and provide insight into a wide range of tantric practice. This book introduces the monastic complex of Gyantse, then guides the reader through every wall painting of this magnificent chapel. Each mahasiddha image is illustrated in a full colour plate, with an accompanying description on the opposite page. The text briefly describes stylistic elements as well, and the introduction and appendices provide fascinating further information.

Empowered Masters: Tibetan Wall Paintings of Mahasiddhas at Gyantse

Ulrich VON SCHROEDER

Arts & Photography

Serindia Publications, Inc.

Mostly unknown to the outside world, the temples and storerooms of Tibet's monasteries shelter a great number of ancient Buddhist objects. Not only are there a great number of Buddhist sculptures and paintings produced by Tibetan artists, but included also are rare examples originating from India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Nepal, Burma, and China. These images have withstood sometimes more than one thousand years of warfare and other calamities. Despite a growing number of books dealing with various aspects of Tibetan culture and religion, most publications have the shortcoming that they are almost exclusively illustrated with objects scattered worldwide in private and public collections. A notable exception is the two-volume chronicle Buddhist Sculptures in Tibet, published in 2001 by this author. However, it is monumental in scale and there is a need for a more affordable condensed edition. 108 Buddhist Statues in Tibet not only fills the need for such a volume, but also provides additional research and recently photographed discoveries. It is a comprehensive yet accessible guide to the stylistic development of Buddhist sculptures in Tibet. By using existing examples in monasteries, it also acts as a catalogue record of these objects that helps to ensure these objects remain there in the foreseeable future. This will enable future generations of scholars to do additional research with the same objects, unlike objects in private collections that are usually sold after some years. The book also includes a DVD of digital photographs of the 108 statues illustrated in this book and of the 419 most important Buddhist sculptures in the collection of the Jo khang / Lhasa gTsug lag khang. These 527 digital photographs can be downloaded free of charge by anyone, regardless whether for personal use or for publication.

108 Buddhist Statues in Tibet: Evolution of Tibetan Sculptures

Sculpture

Serindia Publications

The Golden Age of Sculpture In Sri Lanka: masterpieces of Buddhist and Hindu Bronzes from museums in Sri Lanka [Paperback] [Jan 01, 1992] VON SCHROEDER, Ulrich

Visual Dharma

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Books by Ulrich VON SCHROEDER