Annette L. Juliano

Exhibition catalogues are often overlooked but many make excellent library additions because of their thoughtful, in-depth comments on specific artefacts. This is one such volume. Each object is identified and then--a trait not found in all exhibition catalogues--elaborated upon, with the comments often revealing important clues as to how an object was identified. An example: "The contrast of a fully modeled head and upper body to a low-relief definition of the lower body and lower drapery folds is also found in Buddhist steles in Gansu Province from the Northern Zhou through the Sui Dynasties." (p. 55)

Although ostensibly describing 66 artefacts that were on exhibit at the China Institute Gallery in New York in 2007, this volume is thus far, far more. The additional contributions from a number of known Buddhist scholars (Eugene Wang, Xiuqin Zhou...), although at times previously published in other publications or presented at conferences, are a very important contribution to the usefulness of this volume.

Comparative lists with Chinese and Sanskrit names, selected Chinese characters, and an excellent Bibliography also make this a valuable addition to any library that includes works on Buddhist iconography. I found it especially useful to compare the photographs with those from older publications of Xi'an's Beilin Museum, where these pieces are normally housed.

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