Nepal: Old Images, New Insights

Continuing the series of books focusing on the regional artistic heritage of South Asia, Marg is pleased to present a new collection of essays by leading scholars on the arts of Nepal. Nepal, of course, has a long and rich artistic tradition that has flourished for almost 2,000 years. Both Buddhism and Hinduism are still the two major religions in the country. Nepal’s relatively small size belies its enormous importance in the world of Asian art. Artists from the Kathmandu valley belonging to the Newar ethnic group have enriched the temples and monasteries not only in other parts of the country, especially in the west, but also in neighbouring Tibet and China. This richly illustrated book in an introduction and ten essays throws much new light on the artistic achievements of the Newar people. One article discusses concepts of time and apace in tantric art while two others elaborate on some unique aspects of the sculptural art. The remaining articles are devoted to paintings, both murals and portable works. Although little of early wall paintings has survived in the Kathmandu valley, recently discovered works in caves and temples in western Nepal are remarkable testaments to the Newar artists’ mastery in the technique of murals in the 15th century and earlier. The book publishes not only detailed, analytical study of individual masterpieces but discussions of little-known Buddhist murals of the mysterious kingdom of Mustang, the sequestered region of Dolpo, as well as some unfamiliar but complete series of 17th century Ragamala paintings rendered for a Malla court.