Published on the occasion of an exhibition sponsored by the Getty Conservation Institute, the Getty Research Institute, and the Dunhuang Academy and held at the Getty Center in Los Angeles from May 7 to September 4, 2016. Includes bibliographical references (pages 274-284) and index.
Contents:
Foreword / Timothy P. Whalen and Thomas Gaehtgens -- The Dunhuang cave temples at Mogao / Neville Agnew and Marcia Reed -- The Buddhist cave temples of Dunhuang: art, spirituality, cultural heritage / Hsueh-Man Shen and Mimi Gardner Gates -- The architecture and art of the Dunhuang caves / Fan Jinshi and Zhao Shengliang -- Dunhuang and its network of patronage and trade / Susan Whitfield -- Dunhuang studies: a historical overview of scholarly research / Zhao Shengliang -- Dusting off Dunhuang: a history of travelers on the Central Asian "silk roads" / David Brafman -- Wall painting replication at Dunhuang: a personal account of its history and technique / Lou Jie -- Stemming the tide of deterioration: conservation and collaboration at the Mogao cave temples of Dunhuang / Neville Agnew and Wang Xudong -- The wall paintings in cave 85: from creation to conservation / Lorinda Wong and Su Bomin -- The Mogao grottoes: reflections on the past, envisioning a future / Fan Jinshi and Martha Demas -- Portfolio: creating cave replicas / Julia Grimes -- Catalogue / Michelle McCoy.
Summary:
"The Mogao grottoes in northwestern China, located near the town of Dunhuang on the fabled Silk Road, constitute one of the world’s most significant sites of Buddhist art. Preserved in some five hundred caves carved into rock cliffs at the edge of the Gobi Desert are one thousand years of exquisite wall paintings and sculpture. Founded by Buddhist monks in the late fourth century, Mogao grew into an artistic and spiritual center whose renown extended from the Chinese capital to the far western kingdoms of the Silk Road. Among its treasures are 45,000 square meters of murals, more than 2,000 statues, and over 40,000 medieval silk paintings and illustrated manuscripts. This sumptuous catalogue accompanies an exhibition of the same name, which will run from May 7 through September 4, 2016, at the Getty Center. Organized by the Getty Conservation Institute, Getty Research Institute, Dunhuang Academy, and Dunhuang Foundation, the exhibition celebrates a decades-long collaboration between the GCI and the Dunhuang Academy to conserve this UNESCO World Heritage Site. It presents, for the first time in North America, a collection of objects from the so-called Library Cave, including illustrated sutras, prayer books, and other exquisite treasures, as well as three full-scale, handpainted replica caves. This volume includes essays by leading scholars, an illustrated portfolio on the replica caves, and comprehensive entries on all objects in the exhibition"--Publisher's website.
This resource is supported by the Institute of Museum and Library Services under the provisions of the Library Services and Technology Act as administered by State Library of Iowa.