Nancy Tingley

Buddhas by Nancy Tingley

The quality of the workmanship that produced this book is outstanding. The photography displayed throughout the book is excellent.

Reading this book was very demanding for someone who is not a Buddhist. Exploring the differencing in the iconographic elements from one country to another was interesting.

At different times in history Buddhas were depicted in so many diverse forms. From their garments, adornments and positions (sitting or standing), the images of this religious figure vary greatly.

One of the purposes for the book was to offer additional information for an exhibition in Sacramento, CA at the Crocker Art Museum. I recommend this book to any who wants to understand how various countries, cultures and people revered this mysterious religious icon.… (more)

Physically, this is just a very nice book -- to hold, to look at, to touch. The cover is striking; the background color immediately catches the eye, as does the large image of the Buddha in the center. It makes for a lovely coffee table book. Inside, it's a bit of a letdown. The large color plates are plentiful, but they're not as graphically pleasing as the cover, perhaps because of the way the images are framed. The text is informative, though not overly detailed. As this book was meant to accompany an exhibit, it naturally focuses on the art pieces that made up the exhibit, so the scope is somewhat limited. Overall, I enjoyed reading this book and would recommend it to anyone interested in Buddhist art, at least as a starting point.… (more)