The rediscovery, conservation and repositioning of an ancient stone carved Buddha in Leh, Ladakh is one of the most important events in recent years for students of early Tibetan history and religion. Uncovering an inscription next to the carving has made it possible to date this artefact to the eleventh century or even earlier, while deciphering the inscription has confirmed that the figure should be identified as the Buddha Maitreya. This identification permits a better understanding of how the cult of Maitreya among of the emperors of imperial Tibet extended to western Tibet, and how the Maitreya images of western Tibet represent a specific local iconography.
目次
Part I: The Find 421 Emergency Conservation 422 The Sankar Labrang 423 Moving the Stone 424 Understanding the Stone 425 PART II: Inscription and Iconography 427 The Inscription 427 The inscription 429 Palaeographical Analysis 429 Iconography 431 The Cult of Maitreya in Early Tibet 434 BIBLIOGRAPHY 438
