Customer Reviews

Celestial Gallery

5 star:		(14)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

A large format (approx. 18 inches by 24 inches) book filled with the most beautifully painted mandala paintings of White Tara, Green Tara, Medicine Buddha, Healing Buddha, and many other powerful Tibetan Buddhist images, the impact of this book is simply overwhelming in its rich color and detail. The meaning and significance of each sacred figure is described with care, and any one of these full-page brilliantly reproduced color paintings would be perfect to frame and hang in your home or office (if you can possibly bear to cut this book up!).

Celestial Gallery is really the most beautiful book I have ever seen. Congratulations to Calloway Books for producing this ambitious book. Energy radiates from every powerful page.

Someone suggested I purchase this book, so I ordered it through Amazon.com but had never anticipated its magnificence! For one thing, it is HUGE and a work of art! I have had this for a year now and I still treasure it. One afternoon, I had a Buddhist monk as guest and remembered to show this intricately jeweled book to him. We had a wonderful hour together going over the illumined detail on these pages of mandalas. Who is this wonderful artist Romio Shrestha, we thought? The text especially written by Deepak Chopra for this large book throughoutits chapters in large print make for a nice tapestry of inspired thought-sharing and insight into the Wheel of Life and Man's dual nature. This is a real museum piece and well worth the price tag!

Spectacular! A masterpiece of contemporary Buddhist Tantric Art. The detail of these images are incredible, I have seen nothing-comparable even among the traditional Tibetan paintings. Kudos to the artists and authors for a visual feast! I would trade all my coveted Buddhist paintings (Thankas) for just one contained in this volume.

The size of this book makes it awkward at first to use and behold. However, once you open it and stare at the beautiful full-page paintings on high-quality glossy paper, you begin to admire it and rever it. The quantity of paintings included also outweigh the cost of the book.

Anyone interested in buddhist thangkas and paintings will treasure this hardcover book for the rest of their lives.

It is impossible to exaggerate the exceptional quality and size of these images. These qualities along with the commentary make this a treasure.

The near poster sized book of mandalas is truly perfect for the subject. Traditionally done in sand to mirror the transcient nature of life and beauty, this book is wonderful to behold. One can easily frame the individual plates but it's not merely a bound poster book. The text is nicely written and informative. The mandalas are really first rate, so intricate and detailed, that they transcend even beauty. It's surprisingly heavy (nice glossy paper) for a book that is the thickness of a children's book. Best displayed open to your favorite page.

I have a modest collection of new, good-quality Thangka ($150 to $400, up to 25"), but the quality of the Thangka displayed in this collection are beyond my price and size range. If you are considering buying a Thangka, get this book first to see how high the bar can go. No faded antiques here. For the most part the book's format is one page text, one page painting, but some intricate Thangka such as the "Wheel of Life" are broken down and explained in more detail.

I am totally amazed at the exquisite beauty of thangkas and the quality of printing and design. It is to be appreciated in every bit. I am quite well versed in offset printing, but this is definitely a work of art. Its sharp details, color gamut, and super deep density of ink are unbelievable. What is still amazing is that the dense ink did not transfer the opposing pages, not even the slightest tint. The choice of paper, printing ink, imaging method, and post production all work together perfectly.

The Callaway edition measures almost 27 inches tall allowing for stunning reproductions that grant us an opportunity to fully appreciate these Buddhist thangkas. Although this book might appeal to a wide range of readers, it is especially valuable to those studying the role of visual imagery in the teaching and dissemination of Buddhist philosophy and metaphysics. After many years, it remains a cherished pearl in my library and one I highly recommend.

When it comes to Tibetan Buddhist art, size matters... especially when there are many "things" as what you would find in mandalas.

This book is big and heavy. The paper quality is good and almost all pictures are full-page size, which makes them suitable for framing.

If you love Tibetan Buddhist art, you will love this book and find that it is worth the price.