HAR: General Bibliography

HAR Utilities Page | Book Acquisition

Publication Subjects & Topics:
- Description (below)
- Art History
- Iconography
- Religious Context

Videos: All Book Reviews

There are many different types of publications about Himalayan art. In general publications can be sorted into three main categories of 1. Art History, 2. Iconography and 3. Religious Context. The art history relates to style, region, period and medium. Some publications focus on a single site location such as the Potala, Gyantse or Sakya. Many books are devoted to specific museum collections or private collections, or an exhibition. Some of these private collection art books are vanity publications. There are also a great number of publications that are devoted to single subjects such as mahasiddhas, wrathful deities, Maitreya or ritual objects such as the Tantric peg (kila).

Types of Publications:
1. Collections of Art
- Museum Catalogue
- Private Publication
- Auction House Catalogue
- Exhibition Catalogue
2. Specific Subjects
- Art Focused
- Iconography Focused
- Exhibition Catalogue

There are two main types of iconography publications. The first is illustrative with drawings, images or diagrams and the second is textually descriptive. Early iconography texts are generally descriptive with the added information of symbolic meaning and a list of lineage teachers which establishes orthodoxy and legitimacy. The two main topics of importance are the source descriptive literature and the subsequent artistic examples over time displaying numerous styles of craftsmanship and regional aesthetics.

Religious context refers to those publications which explain the abstract meanings of the various types of art along with origins and orthodoxy.

Jeff Watt 8-2018