Saturday, May 23, 2009

Another 'must have' book

Buddhist Painting in Cambodia - I saw this tome in Monument Books recently and I'm currently saving up for it, as it ain't cheap. But it's a 'must have' book if like me, you have an interest in pagodas and Cambodian culture. It's also a product of author Vittorio Roveda, whose work has opened many doors for me to understand what I am seeing during my travels throughout Cambodia, in collaboration with Sothon Yem, and published by River Books. In its 328 pages, complete with lavish illustrations and 630 color photos, Roveda and Yem introduce us to the mural paintings found throughout the country, their meanings, the painting techniques and the architectural styles of the pagodas in which they are found. They also include descriptions of 100+ wats with murals that the authors visited themselves over a period of five years. This is an immensely important record of Cambodia's Buddhist paintings and one which every self-respecting book collector should own, once they've saved enough cash.

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