Product Description

Now is a unique time in the history of Tibetan furniture, and this is the only comprehensive book on the subject. Tibetans value their painted furniture highly, but their reverence of antiquities for their own sake is not particularly strong. As a result antique Tibetan furniture is more highly valued outside of Tibet than it is within, and it is becoming increasing popular among Western collectors. Contacts with peoples all over Asia can be traced in the designs found on Tibetan furniture, recording a rich history of cultural and trading exchange. In recent centuries the dominant artistic and cultural force has been China and the influence of Chinese decorative arts is a constant theme running through Tibetan painted decoration from the 16th century onwards. Despite this influence Tibetan artisans rarely copied designs precisely; rather they adapted and modified the motifs and the decorative styles they saw to suit their own ends and to reflect their Tantric Buddhist outlook, so that Tibetan furniture cannot be mistaken or confused with work from other cultures. The first several chapters of this book explain the forms and uses of Tibetan furniture, the construction and decoration of the main types, and the history of many designs. Examples illustrate the range of types of furniture in Tibet and the range of decoration, both painted and carved. The last, largest chapter presents examples with descriptions that expand on themes developed earlier. In most cases aesthetic considerations have been the primary criterion for inclusion, but the book is more than a catalogue of attractive pieces. Attentive readers will learn to: identify the main types of Tibetan furniture; appreciate their origin and their uses; identify and understand the most common designs; judge the quality of pieces; and derive increased pleasure from Tibetan furniture they have bought.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #1031373 in Books
• Published on: 2006-07-14
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 240 pages

Review
In a concise but very useful summary of the `Land and People', Buckley stresses the influence of cultural and environmental factors such as high altitude and nomadic lifestyle, concluding that these did not provide a suitable `market' for ordinary domestic furniture (pp. 2-11).

The following chapter which discusses `Forms and Uses" provides a good summary with examples of the various types of furniture including comments on regional styles. Buckley discusses the various items used by wealthy lay families. And it is interesting to note that the range of tables, benches, cabinets and the like did not differ much from what was used in religious establishments.

Two chapters provides a detailed presentation of the themes and decorations found on most furniture. The painted and carved decoration falls in a number of categories including the full range of Buddhist symbolism: floral, geometric and textile pattern; zoomorphic motifs including tigers, dragons, snow lions and various other legendary animals. The next chapter which deals with furniture decorated with painting of the various `wrathful' gods who were protectors against evil, is particularly useful in understanding decorations that would otherwise be viewed as violent and macabre by the uninitiated.

The volume rounds off with illustrations of well-known pieces that represent the various types and designs discussed in the previous chapters. -- Orientations, Fall 2006

In this new book author Chris Buckley provides a basic introduction to the subject for those readers even with little or no acquaintance with Tibetan art, by outlining types, decor, uses and iconography in a clear manner. One follows Buckley on his own inquiry into Tibetan art and culture, inspired by the themes of Tibetan furniture.

The chapters are well illustrated with numerous contemporary photos from various parts of Tibet depicting furniture in situ in monasteries and private homes. The section on prayer wheels is exemplary and the chapter on furniture for the wrathful deities stands out. Also, included are wall paintings, particularly form the prominent central Tibetan monasteries of Shalu and Gyantse. Their extensive programmes of richly informative art span the period from the early 14th through the early 15th centuries, a crucial period in the development of Tibetan art, providing helpful depictions of figurative style, iconography, the decor of the times, and even furniture.

All in all, author Chris Buckley has produced a welcome addition to Tibetan furniture studies, enabling readers to identify the main types, understand the cultural and historical contexts, interpret the decor, and gain confidence to initiate judgments of chronology, aesthetics and authenticity. -- Arts of Asia, August 2006

About the Author
Chris Buckley was educated at Balliol College Oxford and at Wolfson College Oxford. He now lives in Beijing, where he is well-known as a speaker on antiques and collecting, and especially on the relatively new study of Tibetan furniture.

Customer Reviews

expert introduction to this specialized area of growing interest with collectors
This is an early book--one of only two at the present time--focusing on Tibetan furniture from the perspective of the antiques field. Tibetan furniture is an area that will surely find a wider, recognized place given the growing role of some Asian countries, especially China and India, in global political and economic affairs. Already one sees a growing interest in Chinese antiquities and art. As Buckley notes, the time when a survey of ancient and older Tibetan furniture including many photographs such as found in this book is possible is likely passing because many of the finer pieces of Tibetan furniture are already scattered in private homes and museums throughout the world and there is already considerable interest in this field among Hong Kong and other regional dealers. Although the author admits he is "biased toward chests," these serve sufficiently for instruction and examples on the construction, materials, dates, and carvings, illustrations, and other decorative and symbolic features of all Tibetan furniture. "The echoes of contacts with peoples all over Asia can be traced in the designs found on Tibetan furniture." Yet the furniture and its designs are not a simple imitation or composite of forms, designs, etc., of other cultures, but shown the stamp of the "unique identity" of the Tibetan people and culture so that Tibetan furniture is unmistakable. The illustrations and symbols of Tibetan furniture are usually related to the Tantric Buddhism of Tibet. Buckley's book is not only a guide to identification of the desirable antique Tibetan furniture, but it also relates the historical and cultural context of the furniture. The author is a recognized expert on antiques and collecting currently living in Beijing.

beautifully illustrated examples of Tibetan decorative art.
I'm an artist with a particular interest in the decorative arts - and, while I can't say much about the text (I haven't read much of it), the artwork shown in this book is exquisite. I purchased this book for the eye candy - and there's quite a bit here to be had.

The book focuses on hand-painted Tibetan furniture, and it's the highly stylized, decorative, and "folky" painting which I find so appealing in the work presented. The book is richly illustrated with many examples, the examples are well photographed, and the printing is high-quality.

If you're an artist, it's a great reference book - there are many decorative motifs and design ideas from which you can "steal", "borrow", "adapt", or otherwise use as inspiration in your own work.

Required reading for the Tibetan antique dealer or collector!
This beautiful book offers much more than a generous selection of wonderful photographs! It is historically informative and well organized so that it is easy to read for both the professional and collector. If you are interested in Tibetan antique furniture-this is the publication for you!