Overview
Gandhara, the ancient name for the region around modern Peshawar in northern Pakistan, was of pivotal importance in the production of Buddhist texts and art in the first centuries CE. Since the mid-nineteenth century, excavations of Gandharan monastery sites have revolutionized the study of early Buddhism. Among the treasures unearthed are hundreds of reliquaries--containers housing relics of the Buddha. This volume combines art history, Buddhist history, ancient Indian history, archaeology, epigraphy, linguistics, and numismatics to clarify the significance and function of these reliquaries. The story begins with the Buddha's last days, his death and funerary arrangements, and the distribution of the cremated remains, which initiated a relic cult. Chapters describe Gandharan reliquary types and subgroups, the archaeological and historical significance of collections, and the paleographic and linguistic interpretation of the inscriptions on the reliquaries. The 400 reliquaries illustrated and surveyed are from museums and private collections in Pakistan, India, Japan, Europe, and North America. Stone is the primary material of construction, along with bronze, gold, and silver. Shapes range from spherical and cylindrical to miniature stupas, a configuration that provides valuable information about the history of this Buddhist monumental form.
Full Product Details
Author: David Jongeward ,
Elizabeth Errington ,
Richard Salomon ,
Stefan Baums
Publisher: University of Washington Press
Imprint: University of Washington Press
Volume: 1
Dimensions:
Width: 25.40cm
, Height: 3.30cm
, Length: 25.40cm
Weight: 1.950kg
ISBN: 9780295992365
ISBN 10: 0295992360
Pages: 320
Publication Date: 24 August 2012
Audience:
Professional and scholarly
,
Professional & Vocational
Format: Hardback
Publisher's Status: Active
Availability: In Print
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Reviews
""This large-format book is beautifully illustrated and sumptuously produced with many of its pictures in colour [it] is a landmark publication, full of new information and an essential book for any library attempting to cover South Asian art history and archaeology, Buddhist history and the development of Buddhist religious practice."" -Michael Willis, ""Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society""""
This large-format book is beautifully illustrated and sumptuously produced with many of its pictures in colour [it] is a landmark publication, full of new information and an essential book for any library attempting to cover South Asian art history and archaeology, Buddhist history and the development of Buddhist religious practice. -Michael Willis, Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society
Author Information
David Jongeward is a visiting scholar at the Asian Institute, Munk School of Global Affairs, University of Toronto. Elizabeth Errington is curator of the Charles Masson Project, British Museum Department of Coins and Medals. Richard Salomon is professor of Asian languages and literature at the University of Washington. Stefan Baums is assistant adjunct professor of South and Southeast Asian studies at the University of California, Berkeley, and a research fellow at the School of Asian Studies, Leiden University.
