Search Results: Titles starting with S from Orchid Press

Bangkok: Orchid Press, 2001. Adam's Peak in Sri Lanka is one of the five places where Gautama Buddha left the trace of his foot, but it is also an important place of pilgrimage for Muslims, Hindus and some Christians. This book examines the Sinhala pilgrimage tradition both from Sinhala and non-Sinhala sources, and explains the cult of Saman, the white elephant, and its relation to Adam's Peak. The author takes us on a pilgrimage to the summit, with detailed descriptions of the route and his own experiences, and also records impressions of travellers from earlier times. Intended for the traveller who wants in-depth information before undertaking the journey, as well as interested readers and scholars. 192 pp., 27 colour and 14 b&w plates, 3 maps, glossary, bibliography, index. A new/unread copy.. First Edition. Soft Cover. As new. 23 x 12.7 cm.

Urbana: University of Illinois Press, 1991. The Chinese concept of sacred mountains, the summits of which were the domiciles of the gods, is common to both Daoist and Buddhist faiths. They were the destinations of pilgrimages and the subjects of various art forms. Both physical and mythical sacred mountains were depicted in paintings, and also in media as varied as jade, pottery, stone reliefs, lacquers, scholar's rocks (gongshi) and bronze, dating from earliest to modern times. The present volume, resulting from an exhibition at the Krannert and Metropolitan Museums, provides an erudite and also most attractive study of the genre. Cover edges and spine a little chipped, tape residue marks on endpapers, internally clean and unmarked. vii, 200 pp., col. and b&w illustr. throughout.. First Edition. Softbound. Very Good -. 36 x 25 cm..

Bangkok: Orchid Press, 2005. From the distant past to the present day traditional sacred paintings for family and village temples have been produced in many parts of Bali. Sacred painting, like Balinese temple sculpture, wayang, dance and music, is a living, vibrant folk art. Unlike Balinese commercial art, sacred paintings, once they are dedicated in a temple, are believed to possess spiritual power. Yet they are not preserved as ‘works of art’, but are regarded as craft products made for a specific purpose, and expected to wear out in time. An important new contribution on the folk art of Bali, in particular to an indigenous aspect of this art which has largely been overlooked in past. 192 pp., 96 col. pl., 3 maps, 2 tables, bibliography, index,. First Edition. Hard Cover. New/new. 29 x 21 cm.

Bangkok: White Lotus, 1998. This is the first comprehensive study in English of a fascinating but little-known aspect of Thai Buddhism and culture. Rocks and caves are major places of pilgrimage in Thailand and this book places these natural holy sites in their historical, cultural and religious context. Rocks are sacred because of their shapes or the Buddhas carved on them. Animist activities involving rocks started in prehistoric times and continue to this day. The earliest rocks integrated into a religious context belong to the beginning of the Dvaravati period (6th-8th centuries) that saw the birth and spread of Theravada Buddhism in what is present day Thailand. Caves have also been used as ritual places since prehistoric times and were inhabited by hermits and Buddhist monks during the Dvaravati, Sukhothai, Ayutthaya and Bangkok periods. They are adorned with mural paintings, stucco reliefs and statues. The book is lavishly illustrated with 300 plates, maps, and plans and provides practical… Read More

Bangkok: White Lotus, 1997. This book reminds us of the fall of Saigon and the defeat of the Americans in South Vietnam. Many people today visit Vietnam and in the back of their minds they connect that country with a long, painful war that happened now many years ago. But how did that war end? Here is a unique eye-witness account of that dramatic, epochal event written by a journalist who had been in Indochina as a war correspondent for over four years when, on April 27, 1975, he slipped back into Saigon. The city, surrounded by the Vietcong and North Vietnamese forces, was in panic and thousands of people were trying to escape. Foreigners, including most journalists were soon evacuated by American planes, ships and helicopters that landed on rooftops just before the communists moved in. Terzani decided to stay and he reported on the next ninety-four days: the last-ditch negotiation attempts, the panicked US evacuation, the precipitous conquest of Saigon, the anxious waiting for a bloodbath that never… Read More

Ann Arbor: Edwards Brothers Inc. A directory of important people in China and (then occupied) Manchukuo at the beginning of WWII, listing the names of government officials, senior businessmen, entertainers, etc., by Chinese characters, then alphabetically, with brief biographical details of each; this is followed by a gazetteer of place names (provinces, cities and towns, rivers, mountains, etc.) in China, again listed by Chinese character names, then alphabetically. Appendices include a table cross-referencing Japanese, Chinese (reign- and cyclical designations) and Western years from 1833 to 1940, a list of operating railway lines in China, and a two page errata. Text in Chinese and English with a few front- and back-matter pages in Japanese. Solid red cloth binding, spine lettering now worn. Stamped 'Property of U.S.' on front and rear endpapers. Internal pages fine. 1940s reprint of the 1939 Japanese edition. [518 pp.] (2+8+69+7+64+3+130+2+223+4+2+[4] pp.) . Reprint edition. Hardbound.… Read More

Bangkok: White Lotus, 2007. This volume gives us a record of life in the time of King Mongkut's rule and the beginning of King Chulalongkorn's reign. Dr. House travelled extensively and we see Siam through the eyes of a missionary who also practiced medicine. He describes his encounters with other missionaries and the not so numerous other foreigners living in Siam at that time. His medical profession gave him access to many Thais he would otherwise not have met. During cholera Epidemic of 1849 he started vaccinating children, a novelty at that time in Thailand. He gives a vivid description of the situation in Bangkok with daily deaths. At the middle of the 19th century Chiang Mai was not yet fully colonized by Bangkok and still had some independence and was called Laos. The King of Lanna (or Laos) at that time was not in favor of missionaries and tried to suppress them. But at the instructions of King Mongkut he had to let them work, because he had to follow orders from Bangkok. But at least… Read More

Bangkok: Orchid Press, 1984. Des monuments centenaires dans cette région aride, admirablement belle et montagneuse témoignent d'un passé riche et turbulent. Ce livre décrit la majeure partie des sanctuaires bouddhistes à l'aide de photos, de dessins très détaillés, et de brèves descriptions. C'est un guide indispensable pour les visiteurs, une base essentielle sur les monastères et les sanctuaires bouddhiques du Ladakh. Avec une preface de Maurice Herzog. vii, 134 pp., 63 planches en couleur, 39 dessins, un carte, couverture imprimée. Couverture salie et usée, mais pages intérieures propres et lumineuses.. First Edition. Soft Cover. Very Good/NOS - cover soiled. 21 x 19 cm.

Ithaca: Cornell UP, 1975. The study, a result of years of fieldwork by an eminent anthropologist, is the first full characterization of the Burmese Sangha, one of the five main monastic orders of Theravada Buddhism. The author begins with a sketch of the historical roots of Buddhism in Burma, and demonstrates the evolution and links between the relationship of sangha and state of the Pagan period, some thousand years ago, with that existing in the modern state, in the process, drawing on fresh analysis and translation of the Burmese historical chronicles. An essential primary source for the understanding of the present standoff between the monkhood and Burma's brutal military dictatorship. 400 pp., 1 map, glossary, bibliography, index. Dustjacket a little soiled, spine faded, small tears repaired; jacket now protected in mylar. Book itself is in fine condition. . First Edition. Hard bound. Fine/Good. 23 x 16 cm..

Bangkok: Orchid Press, 2002. A monograph on the influence of Mahayana, Tantric and other northern Buddhist schools on early Burmese Buddhist traditions. In completing this important study, the distinguished Indian scholar draws not only on Sanskrit literary sources but also on a wide range of archaeological evidence, epigraphical remains, sculptures and paintings. Reprint of the 1936 edition. 130 pp., bibliography. Soft Cover. New. 19 x 13.3 cm.

Kuala Lumpur: Oxford in Asia, 2000. Sarawak Crafts describes the material culture of those Borneo people found in significant numbers within the East Malaysian State of Sarawak.'ln this slim but comprehensive volume, the author introduces us to the major crafts of the region--carving, metal work, plaiting and basketry, beadwork, and weaving--which not only incorporate many of the beliefs of the people and reflect their way of life, but use the simplest of materials from the tropical rain forest which still covers much of the State. Although methods, materials, and motifs are changing to suit market demands and the availability of raw materials, the skill and artistic sensitivity of the indigenous people of Sarawak remain reflected in those crafts which are still being made today. xiv, 92 pp., 22 colour and 40 b&w plates, bibliography. A new/unread copy in original shrink-wrap.. First Edition. Hard bound. As New/n/a. 20 x 14 cm..

Sri Lanka: Centre for Buddhist Studies, 2004. The Sarvastivada was one of the most important Buddhst schools during the period of Abhidharma development. And understanding of its doctrinal development is indispensible for gaining a proper perspective of the development in Buddhist thought in India as a whole. Its doctrine of sarvastitva - the tri-temporal existence of dharmas - had tremendous impact on the doctrines of not only the so-called Abhidharma schools but also those of the Mahayana, either directly or indirectly, positively or negatively. This volume is one of the first, if not actually the first, in English that deals comprehensively with all the major Sarvastivada doctrines within a single work. ix, 412 pp.. First Edition. Softbound. Near fine. 22 x 15 cm..

Bangkok: Orchid Press, 1995. Preface by HM King Norodom Sihanouk. The Archaeological Survey of India staff, and hundreds of skilled Cambodian craftsmen spent seven seasons, from 1986 to 1993, on a large project restoring Angkor Wat. The author was Indian ambassador to Cambodia during part of this period; he has carefully documented the restoration and preservation work and explained the significance of the Angkor monuments in terms of Indian historical and religious traditions. This book is thus an invaluable companion in understanding the monuments, bas-reliefs and sculptures of Angkor, as well as a convincing piece of documentation on the restoration work carried out during a difficult period of Cambodian history. xviii, 157 pp., 46 colour and 64 b&w plates, fold-out site plan, 3 colour maps. A handsome edition, hardbound in gold stamped red Thai silk.. First Edition. Hard Cover. New. 21.5 x 19 cm.

Bangkok: Orchid Press, 2002. Interest in scholars stones (gongshi), collected by Chinese literati and artists since the Tang dynasty, has expanded greatly in the West over the last five years, with over a dozen major exhibits mounted in museums around the world. Yet there exists only a handful of titles in English on the subject, and important texts such as the Suyuan Stone Catalogue, one of China's earliest and most comprehensive illustrated books on the subject, have never been translated. With its illuminating commentary and well-rendered wood-block illustrations, the Suyuan catalogue is an invaluable reference book for the study of ancient Chinese scholars' rocks. From the 101 entries of various stones and stone types listed in the catalogue, the author has chosen to focus on twenty of the historically most important, then provided translated text, original illustrations, and commentary for each. These stones are used as a springboard for an extended discussion of the connoisseurship and… Read More

Taipei: Caves Books, 1985. This volume is the most comprehensive study of Chinese agriculture to be published in the West. From a huge mass of source material often confusing and obscure, and from first-hand study in China, Ms. Bray brings order and illumination to a crucial area of Chinese technological development. An essential reference. Cambridge UP appointed Caves Books as the authorized publisher of this series in Taiwan. Tape residue on endpapers; otherwise cover, dj and all internal pages in new, unread condition. xxvii, 724 pp., 271 b&w illust.. First Edition. Hardbound. Fine/As New. 25 x 18 cm..

Taipei: Caves Books, 1989. For the first time in a publication outside of China, the raw material employed in textile creation, and the processing techniques applied to it, are documented in their context of historical evolution, geographical distribution and economic significance. Such raw materials varied from hemp, ramie, jute, cotton, etc., as well as the renowned Chinese harvesting of silk from the cocoons of domesticated silkworms. The time-span addressed runs from the Neolithic to the end of the 19th century. Archaeological and pictorial evidence, the bulk of it previously unpublished in the West, is combined with Chinese textual sources - translated and interpreted - to illustrate Chinese achievements in this field. Cambridge UP appointed Caves Books as the authorized publisher of this series in Taiwan. Light browning of endpapers; interior clean and unread. xxxiv, 520 pp., 258 b&w illust., 3 maps.. First Edition. Hardbound. Near fine/Near fine. 25 x 18 cm..

London: Cambridge UP, 2004. How were Chinese pots made, glazed and fired? Why did China discover porcelain more than 1,000 years before the West? What are the effects of China's influence on world ceramics? These questions (and many more) are answered in this history of Chinese ceramic technology, from the late Stone Age to the present. The scene is set through the use of historical texts, archaeological excavation and the principles of ceramic science. Chapters are provided on the formation of clays and their relation to the geologies of China, on firing, on manufacturing methods and sequences, on glazes, pigments and gilding and on the impact of Chinese ceramic technology around the world from the 7th to the 21st century. Sections also address the development of ceramic technologies in neighbouring Korea, Japan and Vietnam. The non-specialist reader will appreciate its unique coverage of research materials originally published in several languages. An essential reference, encyclopaedic in scope.… Read More

Bangkok: Orchid Press, 2006. The Shu Hua Shuo Ling--a treatise on painting and forgery--was written in the eighteenth century by the relatively obscure Chinese scholar, Lu Shih-hua. It might have vanished from the landscape of Asian art history, had the eminent Sinologue, RH van Gulik, not recognized its essential value to our modern understanding of Chinese connoisseurship. Its worth lies in the intellectual honesty of the author in his description of the artist in traditional China, the artist's motivations and the means by which his work was evaluated. Of particular interest, with the emphasis, at times bordering on the paranoiac, that persists today on the issue of authenticity, is Lu's observations on this matter among connoisseurs of his time. One wonders what chance we have to determine the authenticity of a work now, when even those with profound knowledge of the artists, their styles and work in the eighteenth century were challenged to do likewise. One also leaves Lu's treatise… Read More

Hanoi: Studio Tho, 2007. Title in Vietnamese: 'Thu Phap Tien Ve'. Published in conjunction with an exhibition of the calligraphic works of five young Hanoi-based artists known locally as the 'Zen'ei Gang of Five', this catalogue illustrates some 17 works of remarkable power and originality. The works earn avant-garde status in their dramatic break from most modern Vietnamese artistic traditions, steeped as these are in both sentimentality and Western influence. The art is, paradoxically, conservative, in that it draws on the ancient tradition of the use of Sino-Vietnamese scripts, employed for some 2000 years prior to the 20th century, predating the use of Western script to express written Vietnamese. The catalogue includes one actual example of the work, in the form of an original woodblock print on handmade paper. Two brief essays in English and Vietnamese, biographic sketches of each artist. 40 pp., 26 b&w photos, one woodblock print. First Edition. Soft Cover. As New. 26 x 12 cm..

Hyderabad: Government of Andhra Pradesh, 1964. Archaeological Series No. 34. The Kakatiyas ruled the Deccan from about 950-1160 AD, presiding over a great flowering of literature, architecture and religious sculpture during their suzerainty. The finest extant temple ruins and sculpture from the period exhibit both grandeur of vision and a wonderful exuberance of spirit. In the current monograph the author surveys the various periods and stylistic developments, generously illustrating his text with Hindu and some Jain sculptures as well as gates, friezes and other architectural remains found in Andhra Pradesh. vii, 88 pp., 67 b&w plates. Scarce.. First Edition. Soft Cover. Very Good. 27 x 22 cm..