Publisher's Synopsis
There is hardly any other figure of salvation throughout the history of mankind that has been drawn, painted, carved, chiseled, or cast in bronze more and in the consistently same manner than the effigy of the Indian prince Gautama Buddha. The image of the meditating Buddha serves as a symbol for mankind at peace, but how can this formal and iconographic continuity over nearly 2,000 years be explained? The answer is provided in this carefully researched and richly illustrated catalog with numerous essays, maps, and pilgrim routes. It contains more than 100 works from museums; private collections; and world-class exhibits from India, China, Tibet, Southeast Asia, Korea, and Japan.
