Dunhuang Art

DUNHUANG ART

See Also An exhibition of Rare Thankas from Leh

The International Dunhuang Project

Jacket: Flying figure, Cave NO. 158, Middle Tang.

THROUGH THE EYES OF DUAN WENJIE

Translated from Chinese

Edited with an introduction by Tan Chung

1994, 456pp., line drawings, col. and b&w illus., bibl., index, ISBN: 81-7017-313-2, Rs. 1500(HB)

Contents

Foreword

Acknowledgements

List of Colour Illustrations

Chronological Chart

Introduction

Style and Artistry of Dunhuang Art

Dunhuang Art during the Sixteen Kingdoms and the Northern Dynasties

Dunhuang Art during the first Half of the Tang Dynasty

Dunhuang Art during the Second Half of the Tang Dynasty

Dunhuang Art in the Last Phase

Salient Features of the Dunhuang Cave Art Appendix 1

Conservation and Copying of Cultural Relics at Dunhuang Appendix 2

Periodization of the Mogao Caves

A Glimpse of the Mogao Caves

Glossary

Bibliography

DownLoad ISM-Fonts for displaying Diacritical Marks

Dunhuang although internationally known is infrequently visited. The Mogao shrine at Dunhuang is a cluster of 492 caves, containing 45,000 square metres of frescoes and 2,415 stucco statues. This is a precious art heritage of the world. It has great historical and artistic value. These caves were created, renovated and maintained continually with devotion and care from the 4th upto the 14th century. They were also maintained during the subsequent periods up till the 19th century. From the 7th to 9th century, culture and art enjoyed a golden period in China, so did Dunhuang Art.

In this volume we have provided an English translation of selected writings of Prof. Duan Wenjie, Director of the Dunhuang Academy who has given a chronological study of the contents inside the Mogao caves with several decades of research of the Dunhuang Academy under his command.

Prof. Tan Chung, the editor, has furnished an illuminating introduction, while Dr. Kapila Vatsyayan, the driving spirit behind this volume, has made succinct comments in her ‘Foreword’. A valuable information on all the Mogao caves has been added.

Colour and black and white photographs and fine sketches by Vineet Kumar supplement the text.

The Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts is committed to exploring all dimensions of art. It feels privileged to place before art historians and art lovers of the English-speaking world first-hand information about this unique art gallery going back to one-and-a-half millennia.

TAN CHUNG is Professor Consultant at the Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts. He retired from JNU as Professor of Chinese. He has authored important books on China, e.g., China and the Brave New World and Triton and Dragon. Through his writings and his associations, with academic institutions Prof.Tan Chung has provided a fresh outlook for viewing China's past, different from some western critical commentaries.

The Illustrated Jataka & Other Stories of the Buddha

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