From the very first to the very last of its 850 illustrations, this handsomely produced and meticulously researched volume proves to be an incomparable and invaluable resource. A half dozen scholars provided essays covering the history of art in Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, Myanmar (formerly Burma), Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, and the Philippines. Every form of visual art is chronicled with sterling examples, including textiles, ceramics, bronzes, jewelry, paintings, statues of the Buddha on every conceivable scale, and entire temples. Just as various schools and movements associated with each culture are defined and their rise and fall charted over the centuries, the social, religious, and political contexts within which each style and technical innovation emerged are also analyzed, a multifaceted approach that greatly broadens our understanding of the diversity and complexity of the creative life of this enormous region.
Donna Seaman
Synopsis
Stretching from India to the Far East, the region of South-East Asia encompasses Indo-China, Malaysia, Indonesia and the Philippines. This volume presents a detailed survey of the region's art, which blends a variety of cultural and artistic traditions. In a series of essays that build on recent scholarship, the authors examine the mix of significant influences, and the wealth of photographs depict masterpieces of painting, sculpture and architecture, decorative and traditional arts, and renowned sites such as Angkor, Pagan and Borobudur. The locations of all the works of art - often dispersed in archaeological sites - are provided.
