O. P. Deshpande

Pamiatniki iskusstva Iugo-Vostochnoi Azii. Katalog kollektsii (Works of art from Southeast Asia: Catalogue of the [Hermitage] Collection)

St. Petersburg: Herm, 2016. sewn cl. Thailand, Burma (Myanmar), Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, and Indonesia are the sources of most of the works published in this massive complete catalogue — almost 700 pages — illustrations and describing the Hermitage's collection of the art of southeast Asia. The collection originated when Nikolai Aleksandrovich (later Emperor Nikolai II) returned from a journey to Asia in 1891 and added gifts from the King of Siam to the Hermitage's collections. The Russian ambassador in Siam later brought a collection back to Russia, which in part entered the Hermitage in 1931. Other major acquisitions came to the Hermitage through the vagaries of history (German trophy art) and the Hermitage's research expeditions during the second half of the twentieth century. The author, long-time curator at the Hermitage, outlines the formation of the collection and surveys the art of the region as a whole putting the works of individual countries and locales into a coherent art-historical framework. 678 p., 27 cm, approx. 1000 color illus., Rus. with title page and introduction in ENGLISH. Item #1467
ISBN: 9785935726522

Sculpture plays a central role in the art of the region during the ancient, medieval, and modern periods in different media: bronze, stone, and ceramic. Also well represented in the Hermitage collection are various applied arts such as jewelry and textiles. The chapter on Indonesia publishes unique objects relating to local theatrical traditions. Most of the works (almost 800) are published here for the first time. Chapter titles: Cultural artifacts of "proto-Southeast Asia"; Art from Thailand/Siam; Sculpture of the pre-Thai period; art of the Thai states; art from Champa; art from Burma; art from Laos; art from Indonesia: sculpture, ceramics, metalwork, wood carving, puppets and theatrical masks, textiles, manuscripts and books, jewelry; works of undetermined origin.

Price: $168.00