Temple Art of Late Mediaeval Bengal

A significant efflorescence of artistic creativity was evident in more than two thousand miniaturized gems of temple architecture attributed to the late mediaeval Bengal testifying glaring historical evidences of socialized art which itself became an institution with formidable social bonds despite derogatory caste stratification and absence of monarchial support. The era of socio cultural resurrection is worth mentioning not only in the history of Bengal, but also in the long history of human creativity of the entire subcontinent. Various works by the distinguished scholars and researchers on different segments of the field are on record, nevertheless an integrated approach to all the relevant issues including the social space, formation-transition-culmination of the art and architectural practices, the conceptual transformation of themes and representations, the craft organization and contextualisation of the contemporary art and society etc., are yet to be enumerated in a systematic manner. This volume is an effort by the author to explore the said areas and to make a brief assessment of the internal and external aesthetic structures and document the art forms and aesthetic images pertaining to the elaborate profile of relief sculptures and artefacts on the temples still withstanding the ravages of time, but in the process of a very fast deterioration. Adequately illustrated with 354 colour and black and white photographs and 42 line drawings by the author himself, the large volume would definitely be of tangible utility for the esteemed readers interested in the field of art.