The Body Adorned: Sacred and Profane in Indian Art

This exquisite book was the fitting accompaniment to a splendid exhibition hidden away on the Columbia University campus at the end of 2008. This book is a treat for anyone who is interested in the silversmith's art, and in the combination of Indian craftsmanship and decorative English objects of the Victorian era. Each piece is shown in fine detail, and is contextualized with well-written text. A wonderful book!

beautiful book, saw the exhibit in NY at Columbia

This book is lovely and delightful. I am a Silver Collector and this book revealed the beauty and the excellence of Silver work in India. It has certainly broaden my horizons.

"Over the centuries, the sensuous bodily form, female and male, human and divine, has been a dominant feature in the vast and varied canvas of the Indian artistic tradition." So begins this captivating investigation of human beauty based on the art of mankind's oldest civilization.Vidya Dehejia is a brilliant guide who brings illumination to abstract concepts with an exquisite selection of sculptures, paintings and literary works that span the temporal and geographic breadth of the Indian subcontinent. As evidenced by her previous book,  Indian Art , Dehejia has the ideal credentials to succeed in this ambitious new work.The book includes 72 stunning illustrations, dozens of translations from classic Indian literature, and expert quotes drawn from an extensive bibliography that will certainly inspire further reading. Dehejia takes readers far beyond simple artistic appreciation by addressing philosophical controversies that anthropologists and art historians continue to debate:Do universal standards of beauty exist, or is one's culture the predominant force shaping the aesthetics of the world around us?How can sensuality and sexuality coexist with religious art in India?Do the concepts of "sacred" and "profane"--a keystone of Western philosophy popularized by Mircea Eliade in  The Sacred and The Profane: The Nature of Religion --even have meaning in the context of the Indian world view?To answer these questions the author offers original examples, and draws from historians such as Stella Kramrisch ( The Presence of Siva (Mythos: The Princeton/Bollingen Series in World Mythology) ) who observed more than half a century ago, "The art of India is neither religious nor secular, for the consistent fabric of Indian life was never rent by the western dichotomy of religious belief and worldly practice."Dehejia's evidence expands upon this concept, further establishing that "the balance of opinion is in favor of specificity, reinforcing the age-old adage that beauty is in the eye of the beholder--a beholder attuned to a particular ethos, its cultural mores, its ideals, and its aspirations." Throughout her book, the author then clearly establishes more appropriate paradigms for viewing and appreciating Indian art."The Body Adorned" is essential for anyone interested in the art of South and Southeast Asia. But all readers seeking new perspectives about beauty and culture will enjoy this rare, readable book. With the knowledge it contains, the beholder of Indian beauty will grow to experience new realities.

not much has been written about indian silver. this book is a good start. it is a good introduction to different styles of silversmithing in indian subcontinent.

This is a wonderful coffee table book with extra octane. The text tends to be a bit short on the depth that I would have hoped for, but the images are first rate and do provide a very good first overview of the Indian Silver of the Raj. The plates are well organized by artistic and cultural categories, which allows the viewer to get a feel for the diversity and the similarities that existed in Silver for the Raj. Many of the selected pieces are superb works of internationally superior art. This is an area of artistic and academic study that lacks many easily accessible high quality reference books so this work is very welcome. It, however, is a bit light on the historical background of some of the styles, although it does cover some Kutch and Madras pieces in more depth.This is definately a reference book that all interested in the silver of the Raj should own and keep at their fingertips.

The book has excellent descriptions for various Silver items catalogued for many of the most famous silver creators in India during pre-partitions. There are over 200 images and illustrations which makes the book a pleasure to read and see the exquisite pieces.

good

My husband loves this reference book. It has lots of good information and great illustrations.