The first four albums from my photoshoot in Chiang Mai have just been published, and cover some of the out-of-station sites. I have also added histories, maps and illustrative materials to the various pages
Virginia Peck’s Buddha Head Paintings
Here are some wonderful paintings by Virginia Peck of Buddha Heads. I am always happy to see artists reimagine the forms of the past, which shows that they are still alive and living in someone’s imagination.
A New Buddha Head
I went to Penang last week to take some books to various centres on the Island, and at the last place I went to I noticed an incongruous life-sized Buddha Head sticking out of a cardboard box.
Articles on Indian Art by Benoy K. Behl
Links to writings by Benoy K. Behl on all aspects of Indian art, including series on Buddhist art in its earliest and later stages, besides being a sensitive writer he is also a fine photographer also so that all the articles are richly illustrated.
Paintings by Paw Oo Thett
Paw Oo Thett was one of the most famous Burmese painters in modern times, producing vibrant works in both watercolour on paper and oil paintings on canvas.
The Traditional Life of Aśvaghoṣa
According to the traditional biography of Aśvaghoṣa, which was translated into Chinese by Kumārajīva, he was originally a wandering ascetic who was able to defeat all-comers in debate.
J.K. Nariman: Aśvaghoṣa and the Buddhacarita
Here is a re-edited short appreciation of the Buddhacarita by Aśvaghoṣa by J.K. Nariman, which can be found in full on my Ancient Buddhist Texts website.
The Beginnings of Buddhist Art by A. Foucher – V
The sculptors of the second century verify our hypothesis not only in what they reproduce and in what they imitate of the works of the past: we may maintain that they do this, also, indirectly, in what they innovate.
Kitarō: Theme from The Silk Road
The silk road featured some beautiful music by someone who was barely known at the time, and who was brought to prominence by writing the haunting theme music for the series, the Japanese musician Kitarō.
The Beginnings of Buddhist Art by A. Foucher – IV
This is a first and certainly very important, but purely material, verification of our hypothesis. There are proofs more subtle than the proof of statistics, which open up deeper views of the development of the ancient Buddhist school.
The Beginnings of Buddhist Art by A. Foucher – III
The whole subsequent development of Buddhist art flows logically from these premises; and henceforth there are none of the still surviving documents which do not successively corroborate the various stages of its evolution.
The Beginnings of Buddhist Art by A. Foucher – II
To begin, we have the best reasons for thinking that the habit of adoring human images, and even the art of fabricating them, were still less general in the India of the Brahmans before Alexander than in the Gaul of the Druids before the time of Caesar.
The Beginnings of Buddhist Art by A. Foucher – I
The following essay discusses the important aniconic phase of Buddhist art, giving a reasonable thesis for its production and development.
The History and Production of Silk
In July 2007, archeologists discovered intricately woven and dyed silk textiles in a tomb in Jiang-xi province, dated to the Eastern Zhou Dynasty roughly 2,500 years ago.
Thangkas 2: Some Examples
I follow up yesterday’s post on the Buddhist art of Thangka painting with a small collection of photographs from Wikimedia. The highest-definition files I could find are linked to by the small reproductions shown here.
Adivasi Culture and Civilization by Lobsan Payat
Adivasi traditions and practices pervade all aspects of Indian culture and civilization, and the extent and import of Adivasi contributions to Indian philosophy, language and custom have often gone unrecognized.
Animated Film: The Way
Here is an animated video in the sumi-e style of painting. The film is inspired by Toaist thought and includes drawing of the Yin and Yang symbols as well as the I-ching.
Kazu Shimura: Buddha Meditation Ink Drawing
In this wonderful video of Sumi-e ink and wash drawing of the Buddha we see both the tension and the flowing movement of the young artist Kazu Shimura as he manages to bring a Buddha to life on his canvas.
Ferenc Cakó: Sand Animation of Vivaldi’s The Four Seasons
Here are four magical sand animation films by Ferenc Cakó set to Vivaldi’s The Four Seasons, which is one of the most evocative pieces in the Western Classical repetoire.
