Overview

This exploration of the exceptional Buddhist stupa (reliquary mound) at Amaravati, one of ancient India's most extraordinary monuments, presents a fresh perspective on the rich visual culture of ancient South Asia viewed through the lens of art history, connecting the stupa's artistic innovations with advancements in Buddhist philosophy and rituals. Jas Elsner offers new insights into early Buddhist art in South India, as well as a new understanding of the relationship between early Buddhism and its material culture. The excellent newly taken photographs, particularly those featuring objects from the British Museum in London, show in detail how the stupa communicated Buddhist teachings and practices to its followers, making this book an invaluable resource for students and scholars alike.

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9781789148695

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"""The book argues for a 'visual Buddhology' by triangulating Amarāvatī's sculptural 'text' with Buddhist suttas, commentaries, and history. In doing so, it breaks down disciplinary barriers, restores the Indian cultural element in Indian Buddhist studies, and revises arguments about the rise of Mahayana in early India . . . revolutionary in its outlook and approach.""--Deven M. Patel, author of 'Text to Tradition: The Naisadhiyacarita and Literary Community in South Asia'"

Author Information

Ja Elsner is Professor of Late Antique Art at the University of Oxford and a specialist in comparative art and archaeology. He is the author or editor of many books including Roman Eyes: Visuality and Subjectivity in Art and Text (2007).

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