A new special limited edition of this seminal work, originally published in 1949. Based on his prodigious linguistic skills and pioneering field research throughout the Himalayan kingdoms, Professor Tucci's work created a foundation upon which all later historical studies, particularly on western Tibet and Nepal, now stand.
Tucci commences the study with surveys on the literature, lineages and traditions of Tibetan Vajrayana Buddhism and supplements this with descriptions of a number of major Tibetan monastic complexes which no longer survive, as a result of Mao's Cultural Revolution. He then explores the thangka painting tradition in details, covering such topics as origins, evolution, symbolism, iconometry, consecration ceremonies, as well as the artistic influences from neighbouring Nepal and China.
Part Two includes detailed analyses of the 195 thangkas illustrated in some 256 plates, and includes many insightful essays on such topics as regional variations on painting style, the lives of early Buddhist saints and Jataka tales. This new edition presents some 80 additional colour images of paintings replacing their monchrome counterparts in the original 1949 edition.
