The Thousand Buddhas / Ancient Buddhist Paintings from the Cave-Temples of Tun-huang on the Western Frontier of China

The volume presents reproductions and detailed descriptions of ancient Buddhist paintings recovered from a sealed cave-temple complex on China’s western frontier. An introductory essay situates the images within Buddhist iconography and traces artistic influences from Indian, Central Asian, and Chinese sources. The main body catalogs individual plates with concise iconographic identifications, notes on composition, color, preservation, donor inscriptions, and related legends, and discusses large mandala compositions and variations of Bodhisattva and Buddha imagery. Technical remarks describe conservation and curatorial efforts undertaken to unfold, clean, and mount fragile silk paintings. Appendices and commentary provide comparative material and interpretive guidance for non-specialist students of Far Eastern religious art.