Miyamoto Musashi (c. 1584-1645) is the most revered and celebrated swordsman in Japanese history; in Japan alone close to a thousand works have taken the ancient warrior as its subject. Unfortunately, our modern portrait of this folk hero is derived mainly from popular books, comics, and film, with little heed paid to the early denki, chronicles recorded by men who, though they had not known Musashi in his lifetime, faithfully recorded what was passed down by those who had. The Bushû Denraiki is the earliest such record still in existence. Completed in 1727 by Tachibana Minehide, the fifth generation master of Musashi’s Niten Ichi school of fencing, it is the most reliable record of Musashi’s life and exploits outside those from the hand of the master swordsman himself. Now, after three centuries, Minehide’s insight into this enigmatic and solitary swordsman are available to the English reader. His text throws a new and refreshing light on many aspects of especially Musashi’s early life-his troubled relations with his father, his first battle experience during Japan’s period of unification, the sad death of his illegitimate child, and of course his legendary duel on Ganryû island.

This book presents a personal collection of ancestor sculpture and protective deities, following the ancient migratory and trade routes of the Austronesian, Southeast Asian Bronze Age, and Hindu-Buddhist peoples. The author, Thomas Murray, has spent a lifetime studying this art through his endeavors as a peripatetic dealer, collector, and field researcher. The objects illustrated come from a swath of widely varied cultures from Nepal eastward to Hawaii, with the overwhelming majority from Indonesia and Southeast Asia. Murray’s eye is highly informed and based on an unusually large sampling of objects to which his experience and research have exposed him. The artworks documented represent some of the top examples he has acquired and retained over the course of a long career. They are characterized by sculptural balance and a harmony of line, as well as a rare quality of expressiveness. Each ranks high in terms of aesthetics and desirability within its own particular style as perceived by the art market and by other western aficionados.

Prejudices and stereotypes are as ancient as mankind. Why do we think we can deduce someone’s characteristics by their appearance? This book is based on the contested theory of Italian doctor Lombroso on the heredity of criminality. Lombroso stated that criminal behavior is a part of human nature. He wanted to prove some forms of criminality are hereditary. Facial features, corporal constitution… as a basis to stigmatize people. But how do we deal with appearance these days, in a multicultural society? Do we still presume ‘other’ features are ‘suspicious’? Is there such a thing as a ‘born criminal’? This book also pays attention to phenomena such as physical anthropology, craniometry and phrenology. Published to accompany an exhibition at Museum Dr Guislain, 15 March until 20 September 2015. Through exhibitions and books, The Museum Dr. Guislain aims to put the focus on important psychiatric problems and put them in a broader social and cultural context. Text in Dutch with English summary.

The age of exploration was one in which a confident and wealthy Europe was ready to look at the world in different ways. By this time, the emerging European imagination could see the world as an imagined or designative concept. Textiles brought the colours of the other lands, and its mass printing and production brought a sense of fantasy and playfulness into European homes. Continuing Traditions follows the reflections on inter-relationships between textiles, trade and non-performing visual arts in India. The volume has been brought out in conjunction with a travelling exhibition in India called Safar-nama: Journeys through a Kalamkari Hanging , an exhibition of digital prints of an ancient painted fabric piece in the kalamkari tradition, which prevailed in the Coromandel Coast, and is now housed at the Museum of Printed Textiles of Mulhouse in France, along with ‘Continuing Traditions’, a show of contemporary artists and designers whose works can relate to it. After a long modernist interregnum in which the sole objective was to create a thing-in-itself, these works emerge as a postmodernist re-assertion of interrelationship between worldly phenomenon. Published in association with Akar Prakar.

Paper is undeniably a vehicle for the flowering of Indian art, literature, history and religion, but where did it come from? Who made it and how? What was their inspiration? How has this ancient craft survived in today’s India? Comprehensive and detailed, this book traces the nearly thousand-year history of hand paper-making in India.

Royal Tombs of India, the first book of its kind on the Islamic royal tombs of India, focuses on the Tughluq and Lodi tombs, Qutb Shahi tombs and Mughal tombs (Humayun, Akbar, Aurangzeb, Jahangir and Nur Jahan, Bibi-ka-Maqbara, and the Taj Mahal). It also discusses the controversy surrounding the location of Babur’s tomb. The tombs are described in the broader historical and architectural context of the reign of Tughluq, Lodi, Qutb Shahi and Mughal dynasties. It traces the history of royal tombs, from the ancient Egyptian pyramids, the Greek/Roman mausoleums and the Chinese royal tombs to the Islamic tombs of Central Asia, Pakistan and India. It also analyses the different characteristics of pre-Mughal and Mughal architecture and how it was influenced by Persian and Indian architecture. The royal tombs of pre-Mughal sultans (Slave, Khalji and Tughluq), Qutb Shahi kings and Mughal emperors are also discussed.

The book has a selection of 186 of the most interesting arms in the Jaipur royal palace and discusses them as weapons in their social and historical context. The book breaks new ground in Indian arms scholarship and is also a very readable account that takes in Rajput, Mughal and British Indian history, anthropology and art history. The objects are stunning: swords belonging to the Mughal Emperors Jahangir, Shah Jahan and Aurangzeb; wonderful court daggers with hilts of carved rock crystal, jade, ivory and gilt steel; ferocious tribal arms; some remarkable historic firearms and beautiful painted shields, some of which were decorated in Japan for the Mughal court. There is even a device for extracting arrows from wounds with toe-curling ancient medical remedies. Most of these arms are from the reserve collections and published for the first time. Contents: Foreword by Princess Diya Kumari of Jaipur; Acknowledgements; Cataloguing terms; Introduction; Daggers; Katars; Swords; Children’s Arms; Lances, Spears and Shields; Armour; Axes, Ankus, Chhadi and Maces; Bows and Arrows; Accoutrements; Guns and Pistols; Map; The Rulers of Amber – Jaipur; Endnotes; Glossary; Bibliography; Index.

Culture of Indigo: Plant, Product, Power contains papers selected from those presented at the International conference on Culture of Indigo – Exploring the Asian Panoram: Plant, Process, Product, Power in New Delhi in 2007. The book takes the reader on a timeline tour, with details of the plant’s cultivation and production processes. Highlights of indigo s commercial use and impact on fine arts, architecture, trade, heritage as well as an indepth analysis of its resurgence in the wake of environmental concerns enrich the reading experience substantially. With contributions from globally-renowned scholars and art connoisseurs, the inherent politics and pleasures associated with indigo come alive. Vivid illustrations, insightful analysis and extensively-researched text hold promise for readers who cannot resist the chequered lineage of Indigo as a plant, a product and a phenomenon. This book, on the history, politics, and commercialization of Indigo, will be useful for students, academicians, and historians. Contents: Foreword; Introduction; Neel in Bengali Culture; Indigo Dyeing in Karnataka: History and Tradition Indigo Culture in Nagaland; The Story of Indigo (Neer) and Ajrak: The Sacred Textile of Sindh Mohom: Northern Thai Indigo; The Revival of Indigo in Indonesian; The Place of Indigo in Japanese History; Indigo in Tibet: Advent and Symbolism; Neelambari: The Mysticism of the Goddess; Blue and Green in Ancient Classical Art Forms of Kerala; A Journey into Plants, Plant Products, and Minerals Employed; Five Colour Formula Sans Indigo in Kerala Painting Tradition; Evolution, Execution and Colour System of Traditional Mural Paintings of Kerala; Global Blue: Re-inventing Indigo for the 21st Century; End 2 End Natural; Indigo in Fashion; NID’s Varied Interactions; About the Contributors; Index.

Afghanistan has perhaps always preferred to live with uncertainties. The eminent Bengali writer Syed Mujtaba Ali had to quit the country overnight while on a visit in 1927, threatened by political upheavals. Amitabha Ray spent some time in Kabul between 2007 and 2008, as a representative of the Government of India on a United Nations mission. Living a risky existence in an unsettled country he was nevertheless awestruck by its unique landscape, ancient heritage and the natural warmth of its people. Kabulnama is his tribute to those years, sharing personal moments of anxiety, lending a glimpse into the life of the common Afghan. It is a rare journey along the highs and lows of the land and the times. There is camaraderie amidst chaos in this story of a battle-worn nation in a rugged land, lending a ringside view of its natural beauty, history, culture, travel, food and people.

Kathak: The Dance of Storytellers explores the philosophical and practical aspects of Kathak dance – its origin, development, and techniques. Investigating this compelling dance style from cultural and historical perspectives, the book delves into the essential principles of Kathak, its schools and major artists, the format of Kathak performance, repertoire, Kathak music, predominant trends in training, and the system of practice through the lens of theory and application. A rare resource, the text is a comprehensive read for dancers, teachers, and Kathak lovers. Due to the increase of Kathak performances along with dance classes in the west, Kathak practitioners living outside India will immensely benefit from this book.

Madhubani art’s origin is believed to go back to the ancient era of the Ramayana, when the town was decorated by inhabitants of the region for the wedding of Lord Rama and Sita with elaborate wall paintings and murals. The philosophy of Madhubani art is essentially based on the principle of dualism. The artscape appears inundated with divine deities, the sun and moon, and flora and fauna along with features found in Buddhism, Islamic Sufism, tantric symbols and classical Hinduism. Primarily a significant socio-cultural engagement for the womenfolk of Bihar, this art was a welcome break from their daily drudgery. Immersed in the folklore of Mithila, fresh forms and figures are painted and repainted on walls and floors of their homes to mark special occasions. Well-established procedures are followed and techniques are passed on from one generation to the next, keeping the ephemeral art form and ancestral tradition and its lore alive. Madhubani artists today are seen to work more with brushes and acrylic paint rather than natural dyes and pigments. They now also work on paper, cloth, canvas and wood to create art and artifacts, besides painting on walls and floors. Contents: Foreword by H.E.M.S. Puri, Ambassador of India in Belgium; Preface by Martin Gurvich; Imaging the Divine: Artscape of Bharati Dayal by Sushma K Bahl; Krishna; Shiva; Ganesha; Devi; The Mahabharata Nature; Bharati Dayal.

This volume highlights the treasures of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya, formerly known as the Prince of Wales Museum of Western India, and houses a world-class collection of art objects. It is categorized primarily into three sections: Art, Archaeology and Natural History. The Museum has some fine and rare collections featuring ancient Indus Valley artifacts that date back to 3000 BC as well as relics from the Maurya and Gupta period (320 BC AD 800). The Indian Miniature Painting Gallery houses art treasures from almost every significant school of miniature painting.

Windhorse Warrior offers an inside look at the struggles and aspirations of the Tibetan people during the 1950s. It is a tale that weaves together the politics of occupation and resistance, an other-worldly romance between a Chinese communist and an educated Tibetan woman, and the soaring vision of the Tibetan spiritual heart. Chuang Wei Ming, a young zealot from Shanghai, arrives in Lithang – on the eastern Tibetan plateau – with a mission to prepare the people for Maoism but soon outgrows its limiting worldview. Chuang falls in love with the beautiful and intelligent Dechen, who introduces him to the richness of Tibetan Buddhism. Palden Rinpoche, Dechen’s spiritual teacher, includes Chuang in their plan for a general spiritual awakening based on the Legend of King Gesar of Ling. Together, they pursue a pure communism infused with Buddhist teachings to create an ‘enlightened society’. This is a story that extends beyond the decade in which it is set. Its message is true today in the global context of oppression and disparity, fake news, and injustice. Those who believe in a just and beautiful world will find themselves longing for an ‘enlightened society’ filled with spiritually awakened women and men, free to pursue their true potential and eager to enrich the lives of others.

“The mention of Mongiardino still elicits instant reverence. With his alchemic blurring of eras, the sheer scope and commitment of his massive projects and insistence on valuing ambience above so-called authenticity, he attained mythic stature.” – The New York Times Style Magazine Roomscapes is not only a beautiful testament to Mongiardino’s imaginative creations, the magnificent rooms he re-shaped and decorated in ancient Italian and Parisian palaces, English houses, New York apartments, but it is an important text that analyzes space, function, decoration and lighting of rooms. It is meant as a guide to conceive spaces that are inhabited through time and by time. Sketches, drawings, and models by Mongiardino, next to the images of the finished rooms, make the creative process clear and showcase his extraordinary ability and taste. Contents: Preface by Giovanni Agosti; Introduction; Part one: The genesis of a room; Sketches; Chapter one: Space, measure, and models; Chapter two:The function of a room and its appearance; Chapter three: Decoration: ways to invent it, transform it, correct it; Chapter four: Decoration and the appeal of the exotic; Part two: Illusion: the eye deceived; Chapter five: Materials and the simulation of materials; Chapter two: The birth and development of perspective; Conclusion; Appendix: 16 unpublished sketches by Renzo Mongiardino.

A painter of figures, landscapes, architectural subjects, and still lifes, David Ligare (born 1945), expands the realist tradition through the very unreality of his art. Since the late 1970s, he has used his considerable technical skills and historical knowledge to create perfectly ordered Classical paintings influenced and informed by the ancient Greeks. At a time when few artists shared these interests or concerns, Ligare sought to make the ideas of antiquity relevant in today’s world, hoping to spark a renewed desire for knowledge and offering paradigms of moral choice. Setting subjects within the specifics of California – and the Monterey Peninsula region in particular – he bathes them in the pure and wondrous light of the coast. This publication, David Ligare: California Classicist, released in conjunction with the exhibition organized by the Crocker Art Museum in Sacramento, evinces Ligare s admiration for the ancients and his love of California through revelatory essays, a chronology, and more than 200 reproductions and photographs. Contents: Foreword: Donald Kuspit Singular Perfection: David Ligare’s Figuration Acknowledgments: Scott A. Shields and Lial A. Jones Introduction: Scott A. Shields David Ligare and Recurrent Classicism Chapter 1: Scott A. Shields – California Classicist Chapter 2: David Stuart Rodes – The Literate Picture Chapter 3: Patricia Junker – Vie Coye/Life Stilled Chronology: Scott A. Shields Selected Bibliography Index

Author and photographer John Lander takes the magnificent UNESCO World Heritage sites of Japan as a starting point for exploring the country’s architecture, history, customs and festivals. Lander, who has lived in Japan for 35 years, traveled to almost all the country’s UNESCO sites: from well-known places like Mount Fuji to hidden temple gardens and hard-to-reach wild islands. This book also includes cultural elements listed as intangible world heritage, providing intimate portraits of Japanese cuisine, crafts and performance arts. With a lyrical preface by Pico Iyer and illustrated with over 180 full-color photographs, World Heritage Japan is Lander’s personal photographic tribute to a diverse and ancient culture – a stunning visual journey across Japan.

Mughal emperors governed their vast empire with the help of nawabs – a title they bestowed on the semi-autonomous Muslim rulers of India. Over a period of time these nawabs became powerful rulers in their own right and created a distinct culture of their own, with food being one of its most everlasting legacies. Heavily influenced by Mughal staples and cookery techniques, the nawabs refined their cuisine by adopting local flavors, from the refined palates that dominate the table at Rampur and Avadh to the incredible array of delicacies from the kitchens of Bahawalpur and Khairpur, now in Pakistan. For the first time, Dining with the Nawabs allows you a rare opportunity to visit the tables and palaces of these families, to learn more about their lifestyles and their love affair with gourmet cuisine. This special edition also comes with a ‘Kitchen Copy’, containing some of their most beloved family recipes that you can recreate in your own homes. The families featured in this book continue to be the proud custodians of this culinary legacy. They share recipes which have been passed down for hundreds of years within the confines of the royal kitchen. In these recipes and stories, which depict food as the epicenter of traditions and customs, the larger story of an ancient philosophy and a way of life is revealed. Today, Indian food all over the world is synonymous with Mughalia and Nawabi cuisine. Biryani, pulao, kebab, korma, kofta, dumpukht and other dishes of the time have all made their way from a shahi dastarkhwan into every home. The families featured here each have their own signature version of these dishes; much like the flower which grows in different soils and emanates a different fragrance, these meals are at once part of a shared heritage and strikingly unique.

Said to have been written sometime in the fourth century BC, the Kama Sutra by Vatsyayana is much more than a mere description of exotic sexual practices. It is an ancient classical work on the art of love.

Written in the style of a scientific manual, the book offers a view of sexuality absolutely untinged by guilt, shame or the sense of sin. In this gorgeous edition, the male-female union is portrayed in all its splendor through the use of Indian miniatures and other paintings.

In Hindi ‘pukka’ means genuine, authentic, complete. Design in India is not only determined by the aesthetic appeal of the object, but also by the significance of the object in the everyday life of its users. In some instances, the age-old practices established by ancient Indian wisdom determine the design of an object, such as the datun (neem tree twig) recommended for oral care or agarbatti (incense) used to heal and protect. On the other hand, the lota (a kind of metal pot) has been a part of everyday Indian life for centuries and its design remains unchanged even today. Pukka Indian, or Purely Indian, brings together 100 objects that are the most coveted symbols representing Indian culture and design. This illustrated book celebrates the diversity, versatility, vibrancy, and colours of design icons – ranging from kulhad to the kolhapuri chappal, Nano to the Nehru jacket, and auto rickshaw meter to the Ambassador – that set them apart in a country as multifarious as India. Each of these 100 profiles reveals the intrinsic Indian nature of every object, and how each has influenced design, culture and, in turn, every Indian.

This essential travel guide to Southern India’s varied heritage covers all the major Buddhist, Hindu, Muslim and European historical monuments and sites in Maharashtra, Goa, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Kerala. There are amazing descriptions of forts and palaces, temple architecture, sculpture and painting, mosques and tombs, churches and civic buildings. Plan trips by using the travel-friendly itineraries, accompanied by useful location maps. This essential travel guide contains comprehensive coverage of the region’s cities and monuments, museums, and archaeological sites. It includes all the major sites the great port cities of Mumbai, Chennai and Kochi; the citadels of Golconda, Vijaynagara and Gingee; the rock-cut sanctuaries at Ajanta and Ellora; the temples at Badami, Halebid and Thanjuvar; the mosques of Hyderabad and Bijapur; and the cathedrals at Goa and hundreds of less well-known places.

The ritual of offering food or Naivedyam to Lord Venkateshwara – a manifestation of Lord Vishnu – at the Tirumala Temple has existed since time immemorial, when Lord Vishnu decided to descend on Earth in the ‘archa’ form, or as an idol that can be worshipped. He commissioned Sage Vaikhanasa to prepare the ancient religious text Agama Shastra, which gives an elaborate description of the rituals to be conducted at the Tirumala Temple, the ingredients to be used to prepare prasadams, procedures for a priest to follow, precautions to be taken, and the Veda mantras to be recited at each step. With rare photographs and detailed step-by-step recipes, the book describes the various kinds of food offerings made, with specifications about the quantity, ingredients, preparation, variety of food, and particular times when they should be served. This sacred volume is a must-have for every Lord Venkateshwara devotee.

The sheer number of unfinished stone monuments in India is staggering and examples appear at some of India’s most famous and well-studied sites that include rock-cut Ellora, Ajanta, and Mamallapuram. Unfinished work also appears on built temples celebrated for the intricacy of their sculpted decoration, such as those in Hoysala kingdom or in Orissa. This detailed study provides an overall coverage of India’s unfinished work while addressing a range of issues related to stone-carving by examining a select number of monuments at specific sites. Instead of focusing on a site in its entirety, the study here focuses on specific issues of consequence in the context of unfinished work, as they gain an added weight and significance through discovery of their repetitive occurrence at site after site.

At the heart of this book are the many varieties of unfinished stone carving that merit close observation to see what is there and what is not, and to appreciate that all the finished work has been through these various stages of being unfinished before reaching completion.

Japan is a land of diversity and contradictions with a unique, somewhat mysterious culture. It is a place where you will find ancient temples, shrines and customs cherished and unchanged for over thousand years, as well as cutting edge technology and trendsetting architecture. V

isitors will be amazed by the courteous and warm way travelers are welcomed and the delicacy of Japanese food and art.

Although in Japan the majority of the population lives in vibrant contemporary cities like Tokyo, Yokohama and Osaka, historical places like Kamakura, Kyoto and Nikko are always close. The Japanese archipelago consists of thousands of islands that are often densely forested and mountainous. Situated on the Pacific Ring of Fire the highly volcanic activity in the region has shaped over time stunning landscapes with many natural wonders to discover.

Marc Popelier’s frequent visits to Japan and life-long interest in the country and culture have crystallized into the pages of this book. It is a perfect introduction to Japan and will surely tempt anyone to visit this fascinating country.

Another Escape: Designing the Modern Guest House II, features a wide array of guest houses from around the world, highlighting the best of modern hospitality. Its projects offer architecturally interesting designs of predominantly reconstructed and restored buildings, set in beautiful and unique environments. A beautiful location is a vital criterion for a successful guest house. Humans are hardwired to enjoy two types of scenery: the lush and the novel. As cities become the default way of living for large swathes of humanity, we are beginning to place greater value on lush natural beauty. We all feel good in picturesque natural environments, be that walking in a sun-dappled forest, marveling at snow-capped mountains, or watching waves breaking on pristine beaches. But the novel, the new, also moves us. In this richly photographed book you will find beautiful examples of guest houses that make the most of both the lush and the novel. From houses in Greece that are designed to frame spectacular views of the sea to the loft-style spaces in the heart of wooden alpine area in the ancient heart of Slovenia, the guest houses in this book feature striking architecture, tactile materials, and new typologies in luxuriant settings. Designer solutions extend beyond simple architectural models. This book provides in-depth narratives on refining interiors, such as best spatial layouts, colour palette ideas, unique lighting applications, soft furnishing options, and other design aspects. Each case study draws out detailed references on how to merge practicality with the motifs of nature and art for the perfect design combination: one that offers the user convenience, comfort, and a unique experience.