Art & Architecture of Cambodia (World of Art) by Helen Ibbitson Jessup (Author)
Product By Thames & Hudson
(3 customers reviews)
Available From 24 Sellers
Product Description
An essential, authoritative, and up-to-date introduction to the art of Cambodia, and a vivid glimpse into a world that continues to challenge travelers.Legendary tales of kings and princes, wars, conquests, and unions with gods and goddesses—all these are portrayed in the spectacular friezes, reliefs, and stone carvings for which Cambodia has become justly renowned. The enormous variety of styles and influences, both sacred and secular, that are expressed in Cambodian art make this one of the most surprising and rewarding of all Southeast Asian cultures.
Our understanding of the Khmers, whose kingdom dates back to early in the first millennium, is drawn from written Chinese records, myths recorded in Sanskrit, and the evidence revealed by research and exploration that continues to the present day. The profound and lasting influence of India on Khmer culture is evident in Cambodia's religious architecture, principally Hindu and Buddhist temples; each faith is reflected in work of remarkable vigor and exceptional grace and beauty.
French archaeologists in the nineteenth century reopened the doors onto this world. Still more remarkable, perhaps, is how much has survived through generations of determined looting and political conflict. These persistent features of Cambodia's history make the richness and fragility of its architectural and artistic legacy strikingly apparent. World-famous sites, such as Angkor Wat and Preah Vihear, breathtaking monuments in their own right, have tended to overshadow a wealth of lesser-known buildings and complexes buried deep in the jungle.
Many remarkable photographs are published here for the first time, of both famous sites and those that have, until now, been almost impossible to see, for both geographical and political reasons. 180 illustrations, 85 in color.
About the Author
Helen Ibbitson Jessup is an independent scholar and curator specializing in the art and architecture of Southeast Asia.
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Customer Reviews
2006-11-21By Monica Allard Ulibarri
It gives you a vague idea of the Cambodian Art & Arquitecture.
2005-10-30
By Ferdinand (Germany)
There are some table top books on Khmer art available which are great, but this publication is the only _compact_ book on Khmer art available which gives a stringent, chronological and readable introduction into the history of Khmer art.
Even the best guide (IMHO of course) to Angkor by Michael Freeman and Claude Jacques: "Ancient Angkor" [River Books *2003*, ISBN 9748225275, not listed at Amazon] which of course concentrates on the various temples in Ankor can be confusing concerning the time line and development of Khmer art.
Moreover, Ibbitson Jessup choose many fine examples of Khmer art today on display in the National Museum in Phnom Penh. Which means, if you read the book before travelling you will be able to see the original sculptures later in Cambodia, or even better to read some sections a second time in front of the art works. This will give you a much deeper understanding of everything you will see in Angkor.
This compact and readable introduction to Khmer Art this is IMHO the best travel companion available at the moment and makes a perfect duo with the guide by Freeman/Jaques.
2004-07-31
By reader (NZ)
Not up to T&H's usual standard in terms of production - binding not great (refers to pbk edition), printing of the images below current expected standards. But none of that can be blamed on Jessup - and these faults are the downside of a book which is very cheap for what you get. However, the text is another matter - by no means authoritative as the blurb proclaims - in particular, the first chapter is best left totally unread because of the errors - indicative of which is the howler on page 8 which states that Thai is a Mon-Khmer language - even the most sleepy editor should have spotted that one - unfortunately not the worst example - just the first that jumped out. BUT not all is bad - the selection of images is good and there will be at least some new to people who have an interest in this field, the bibliography has most of the important references and generally the documentation is very good. There are good examples of most of the important aspects of Cambodian art and architecture. If you want a book with a reasonable overview of art and architecture (but not of the Cambodian background) and you don't mind a small format for the photographs, then this is it.
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