How to Read Buddhist Art (Metropolitan Museum of Art - How to Read)

An indispensable introduction to the evolution of Buddhist imagery from its origins in India through its spread to China, Japan, and South AsiaFor more than 2,000 years, sublime works of art have been created to embody essential aspects of Buddhist thought, which developed and evolved as its practice spread from India to East Asia and beyond. How to Read Buddhist Art introduces this complex visual tradition to a general audience by examining sixty seminal works. Beginning with the origins of representations of the Buddha in India, and moving on to address the development of Buddhist art as the religion spread across Asia, this book conveys how Buddhist philosophy affected artistic works and practice across cultural boundaries.