Paths to Perfection: Buddhist Art at the Freer|Sackler

Title: Paths to Perfection: Buddhist Art at the Freer|Sackler
Author List: Debra Diamond (ed.)
Publisher: GILES, Freer|Sackler
Publication Date: 2017
Publication Type: book
Format: print (softcover)
Pages: 230
ISBN: 9781907804649
Collection Area(s): Chinese Art, Japanese Art, South Asian and Himalayan Art, Southeast Asian Art
Paths to Perfection book cover. A detail of “Scenes from the Life of the Buddha,” stone relief panels that depict four major events in the Buddha’s life. This detail is a close-up of the Buddha’s stoic face from a side angle.
Description:

Paths to Perfection introduces readers to Buddhist art through the celebrated collections of the Smithsonian’s museums of Asian art. Written for a general audience, the guidebook shares Buddhist art and its history across cultures, from the origins of Buddhism in India to its spread eastward to China, Japan, and Southeast Asia. More than a hundred objects from the renowned Freer|Sackler collections follow, each with a full-color image and insightful description written by a museum curator or scholarly fellow. Entries are divided by type into five sections: buddhas, bodhisattvas, mandalas and ritual objects, teachers and teachings, and attendants and protectors. A map and glossary help familiarize readers with significant Buddhist sites and terms.