Asiatic Arts

The author who is an authority on the Oriental or Asiatic Arts has confined this study to two most important areas of arts; Sculpture and Paintings. He has made a systematic investigation in these two branches of art of the most important countries of Asia such as India, China, Japan, Tibet, Korea, Iran, Burma, Thailand and Malaysia. Rare aesthetic quality can now be recognized where a preceding generation found only an exotic curiosity. Nor can it any longer regard a work of Oriental art, a Chinese statues, and Indian Paintings or Sculpture, a Chinese statute, an Indian Painting or Sculpture, a Japanese Screen Painting, a Tibetan Scroll or a Thai bronze as an isolated product. Various manifestations of art in these different countries have something in common. Successive waves of influence passing to and for across the continent which have influence the arts make us understand the truth of Okakura’s saying that ““Asia is one””. The book which contains more than 110 plates, illustrate fully the development of Sculpture and Paintings in the continent. The book is equally divided in giving expression and authentically both the arts. Sculpture of India is very rich and as ancient as the earth and all the diverse elements of it are studied, Chinese and Japanese Sculpture of the great periods of Chou dynasty and Han period are fully represented. Sculpture of other regions such as Iran, Tibet, Thailand, Malaysia and Burma form a considerable part of the book. The richness of Indian paintings needs no introduction and all the schools especially Rajput, Kangra, Sikh and Mughal besides miniature paintings and paintings of medieval Nepalese manuscripts are studied. Paintings of Japan and China have their own richness. The reflect Buddhist influence in abundance. The Tibetan paintings are masterpieces of Buddhist Scroll art. The book is a rare kind of descriptive catalogue of the most rare pieces of art in the form of paintings and Sculpture and shall be a rich source of study and joy for the student and scholar.