Book Description

"Lo", as Mustang is called by those who dwell there, is a small area in the Nepal Himalaya inhabited by people of Tibetan stock. Buddhist art flourished here, particularly between the 14th and the 16th century, in a cultural environment strongly influenced by the religious order of Sakya, the great monastic fortress in southwest Tibet. In particular, the 15th-century wall paintings in the temple of Maitreya at Montang, the traditional capital of Lo, vie with the finest in all geo-cultural Tibet, whereas the 14th-century murals in the cave temple of Luri reflect the interpretation of Indian aesthetics as transmitted to the Tibetan world by the artists of the Nepal Valley. This volume is the first monograph on the artistic heritage of Lo. It deals with the most representative features of the religious art of the region, dwelling on painting, but without neglecting sculpture and architecture. Besides recording significant as well as hitherto unpublished religious sites of artistic relevance, it illustrates the restoration work carried out in important temples at Montang. Illustrated with rare images of the paintings, sculptures, and monuments of this fascinating region, the volume will appeal to a wide audience, including scholars and students, and readers with a general interest in the arts of Asia.