Tibetan Buddhism has one of the most complex iconographies of any religion. Robert Beer, the artist who brought to life the saints of Tibetan Buddhism in Buddhist Masters of Enchantment, has now brought the myriad symbols of Tibetan Buddhist art to life. Not exactly arranged like an encyclopedia, this book is more like a tour of the categories of Tibetan Buddhist symbols, beginning with Landscape Elements (rocks, clouds, rainbows, etc.); moving on to such areas as Flowers and Trees, Cosmology, and Mudras (hand gestures); and ending with Geometric Borders. Exquisitely detailed line drawings (using fine-pointed traditional brushes) are grouped on full-size plates, each of which the author tells us took between 50 and 200 hours to draw. The eight years that went into this book are revealed not only in the drawings but also in the text that is equally detailed in its descriptions of the religious significance of the symbols as well as their sources and development in Tibetan art. Beer's encyclopedic knowledge has not come from book learning, but from 30 years of doing Tibetan art and learning firsthand from Tibetan masters. After glimpsing just of few of these plates, you'll be calling Beer a master too. --Brian Bruya


From Library Journal
Through 12 thematically organized chapters of text (accompanied by black-and-white line drawings), BeerAa British artist who's studied Tibetan thangka painting for 30 yearsAsets out to "cover the whole spectrum of Tibetan Buddhist symbols and attributes." Given the dearth of English-language works on the topic, libraries serving sophisticated interests in Tibetan Buddhism or Eastern art may want to add this work to their circulating collections. Its value as a reference title, however, is severely limited on several counts. First, Beer lacks credentials both in terms of traditional Western scholarship and Buddhist lineage of transmission. Additionally, the book contains no index or glossary; cross references are scarce; and terms unique to Tibetan Buddhism (like "concealed treasure" traditions) are not defined in the text.AJames R. Kuhlman, Univ. of North Carolina Lib., Asheville Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

FROM OUR EDITORS

Sacred Art

Tibetan art and Buddhism share a close interrelationship, beginning with roots in the religion and culture of India, which for thousands of years has been the wellspring of a fascinating wealth of visual imagery. From paintings and sculptures of demons and Buddhas to the tiny motifs that appear as decoration, each representational element has a specific meaning with both a religious and historical dimension.

The most common form of Tibetan painting, the thangka -- an aid to meditation created as a devotional act by a monk to bestow blessings and protection upon the believer -- is filled with ancient and intricate symbolism. Robert Beer has decoded its meaning for artists, the general reader, and those seeking a deeper knowledge of this religion, which has taken firm root in Western culture over the last three decades. When the Chinese invaded Tibet, they destroyed many original thangkas but could not touch the original designs, which have been transmitted from monk to monk, artist to artist, over the course of thousands of years.

The author and illustrator, a British artist, studied thangka painting for more than 30 years, and spent the last 18 years working on brush drawings of Tibetan iconographic symbols. He began in Dharamsala, India, studying sketches by an artist named Jampa from Lhasa, the painter to the Dalai Lama. The breadth of his knowledge and the scope of his studies are immediately apparent from the text of the encyclopedic entries.

As Buddhist teaching is transmitted through art designed to open the imagination to new ways of perceiving the world, so The Encyclopedia of Tibetan Symbols and Motifs is an invaluable resource for anyone looking to widen their knowledge of this ancient religious art.

—Sara Laurent

FROM THE PUBLISHER

This study of the sacred art of Tibet is the result of eight years of meticulous brush drawing, and a life-time spent researching and reflecting upon the inner and often hidden meanings and origins encapsulated in this most complex of iconographical traditions. Several thousand individual drawings arranged as a series of 169 plates illustrate the many variations in style and individual expression of these ritual objects. The text interweaves the origins, meanings and functions of these symbols, derived from India, Tibet and China, into a comprehensive tapestry within a Buddhist conceptual framework. This book will become a classic not only for all those interested in Tibetan religious culture, but for artists, designers and others who look eastwards in a search for meaning.

FROM THE CRITICS

Library Journal

Through 12 thematically organized chapters of text (accompanied by black-and-white line drawings), Beer--a British artist who's studied Tibetan thangka painting for 30 years--sets out to "cover the whole spectrum of Tibetan Buddhist symbols and attributes." Given the dearth of English-language works on the topic, libraries serving sophisticated interests in Tibetan Buddhism or Eastern art may want to add this work to their circulating collections. Its value as a reference title, however, is severely limited on several counts. First, Beer lacks credentials both in terms of traditional Western scholarship and Buddhist lineage of transmission. Additionally, the book contains no index or glossary; cross references are scarce; and terms unique to Tibetan Buddhism (like "concealed treasure" traditions) are not defined in the text.--James R. Kuhlman, Univ. of North Carolina Lib., Asheville Copyright 1999 Cahners Business Information.

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