Year: 2017
Type: book-chapter
Abstract: The article focuses on a masterfully illuminated manuscript from early 17 th century Nepal preserved in the Cambridge University Library (Add.864), which was possibly produced by a thriving atelier in Bhaktapur. This accordion book consists of one hundred and forty-four polychrome miniatures of extremely vivid grace and exuberant character, accompanied by Sanskrit captions. Among its many themes, it depicts several narratives of both sacred and secular nature -mostly taken from Brahmanical sources such as the Bhāgavatapurāṇa, the Mahābhārata, the Rāmāyaṇa and the Vetālapancaviṃśati, but also including scenes from the Buddhist story of Sudhana and the Kinnarī. The article examines the iconographic programme of Add.864, suggesting that it may have been conceived as a didactic visual tool for the elites that partook in the high culture of early modern Nepal.
Source: De Gruyter eBooks
Author: Daniele Cuneo
Language: English
Topic: Indian and Buddhist Studies
Subfield: Religious studies
Field: Arts and Humanities
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: hybrid
OpenAlex ID: W2778726174