Temples of Gold: Seven Centuries of Thai Buddhist Paintings [Hardcover]

Sankti Leksukhum (Author), Gilles Mermet (Photographer), Kenneth D. Whitehead (Translator)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 2001

The exuberant wall paintings found in the Buddhist temples of Thailand enchant the eye and spirit with their subtle colour, lyrical line and vivid depiction of mythological and secular scenes inspired by ancient texts. These little-known masterpieces, reproduced here in exquisite detail, speak to us across the centuries with joy, humour and grace. Santi Leksukhum's text traces the complex history of these paintings. It examines the development of their distinctive style, from the arrival of Buddhism, to the overwhelming influence of the royal workshops of Bangkok, to the incorporation of Buddhist techniques as Thailand opened up to the West in the mid-nineteenth century. The rulers, who were believed to have divine power, imposed strict codes on subject matter, imagery and composition. Despite the extreme stylization, we see the hand of the artist in the freshness of the brushstrokes. The murals embrace opposing elements - the sacred and the profane, formality and spontaneity, the real and the imaginary - and combine them in harmonious compositions of startling beauty. The renowned French photographer Gilles Mermet made several expeditions to Thailand to photograph these magnificent murals specially for this volume. The delicate tracery and the fragility of the medium are captured in Marmet's images, which convey the full epic sweep of these narrative murals. An appendix recounts the major Buddhist texts, including the Three Worlds, the Ten Great Jatakas, or birth tales, and the Life of the Historical Buddha. In addition, there is a map showing the location of the major temples and a glossary. Temples of Gold presents an intricate and subtle art form as practised over seven centuries in celebration of one of the world's great religions. It will fascinate art lovers, students of Buddhism, cultural historians, armchair travellers, and all who want to enter the enhanced world of a rarely-seen civilization.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Even a confident lover of much Asian art may be surprised by the splendor and variety of the visual arts in Thailand. In Temples of Gold: Seven Centuries of Thai Buddhist Paintings, Bangkok art historian Santi Leksukhum (trans. by Kenneth Whitehead) demonstrates how Thai art evolved, what to look for in the paintings and how to see it; religious conventions, political events and several types of perspective are all explained. Photographer Gilles Mermet's (Mosaics of Roman Africa) 120 handsome, full-color images capture the splendors and oddities of Thai Buddhist murals, panels and architecture from sometimes-contorted, colorful battles and crowd scenes to elegant gold-and-black meditating Buddhas, surrounded by light or suspended amid the waves.

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

This handsome book brings us to the wall paintings of Buddhist temples in Thailand. Leksukhum (art history, Univ. of Silkadorn, Bangkok) explores the history of these paintings, commenting on the styles of the Sukhothai and Ayutthaya schools, which flourished in the 13th through the 18th centuries, as well as on the Rattanakosin schools of the 18th and 19th centuries. The work traces the sources of artistic inspiration from ancient Buddhist texts, including The Three Worlds, Ten Great Jatakas, and episodes in the life of the Buddha. The murals, captured by the French photographer Gilles Mermet (Mosaics of Roman Africa: Floor Mosaics from Tunisia, LJ 2/1/97), reveal the inherent contradictions and harmonies at work in these large-scale paintings. A fabulously illustrated feast for art lovers, students of Buddhism, and art historians, this is one of the few books in the last two decades to focus on Buddhist art in Thailand. Recommended for deep art collections in academic and public libraries. Lucia S. Chen, NYPL
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 240 pages
• Publisher: George Braziller (March 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0807614769
• ISBN-13: 978-0807614761
• Product Dimensions: 13.4 x 10.9 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,798,474 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars My No. 1 Choice So Far, October 17, 2002

By 

schiff (Tel-Aviv Israel) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Temples of Gold: Seven Centuries of Thai Buddhist Paintings (Hardcover)

Temples of Gold: Seven Centuries of Thai Buddhist Paintings
by Sankti Leksukhum, et al is the first and (so far) only book dealing with South-East Asian culture to deserve my 5 star rating. The commentary is well-researched, easily read and flows hand-in-hand with the breathtaking reproductions of Thai narrative murals of the Sukhothai, Ayutthaya and later Rattanakosin periods. The publisher, George Brazillier, should also be commended on the splendid and meticulous execution and quality of the printing and the excellent choice of format, which make these amazing masterpieces of Thai art spring-up at the reader right from the printed page. Need I say more? If you like the subject matter - definitely go and buy this book.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars My No. 1 Choice So Far, October 17, 2002

By 

schiff (Tel-Aviv Israel) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Temples of Gold: Seven Centuries of Thai Buddhist Paintings (Hardcover)

Temples of Gold: Seven Centuries of Thai Buddhist Paintings
by Sankti Leksukhum, et al is the first and (so far) only book dealing with South-East Asian culture to deserve my 5 star rating. The commentary is well-researched, easily read and flows hand-in-hand with the breathtaking reproductions of Thai narrative murals of the Sukhothai, Ayutthaya and later Rattanakosin periods. The publisher, George Brazillier, should also be commended on the splendid and meticulous execution and quality of the printing and the excellent choice of format, which make these amazing masterpieces of Thai art spring-up at the reader right from the printed page. Need I say more? If you like the subject matter - definitely go and buy this book.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Feast for the Eyes, October 7, 2002

By 

schiff (Tel-Aviv Israel) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Temples of Gold: Seven Centuries of Thai Buddhist Paintings (Hardcover)

Temples of Gold: Seven Centuries of Thai Buddhist Paintings by Sankti Leksukhum, et al, is both a serious and entertaining essay which gives one the feeling of actually "being there". A must for the serious admirer of South-east Asian art and culture!