"The focus of conflict from the colonial era to the cold war, Vietnam at long last is emerging as a global force in trade and culture. Likewise its ceramics tradition, a fusion of eclectic influences and unique forms and forces, is exciting the imagination and delighting the senses of a widening circle of collectors and connoisseurs. The Elephant and the Lotus explores this vital tradition by highlighting over two hundred objects in the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. Ranging from earthy and practical stoneware produced two millennia ago under Chinese dominion, to the spectacularly decorated ewers, bowls, and limepots created at the pinnacle of Vietnamese civilization a thousand years later, the wares presented here reflect the natural wonders of Vietnam and the ingenuity of its ceramists. With an introduction by John Stevenson that places ceramics at the intersection of artistic expression and national identity, and extensive presentations by renowned authority Philippe Truong, this is both the first complete publication of a remarkable collection and an indispensable introduction to a rapidly growing field in the Asian decorative arts."--Jacket.
This book is intended to serve as an introduction to the elephant-lore of Hindus. It consists primarily of a translation of the Elephant-Sport (Matanga-Lila) of Nilakantha, with notes, introduction, and glossary. The Matanga-Lila is without doubt the best available Sanskrit work on elephantology. It is a brief and succinct treatise in 263 stanzas, divided into twelve chapters of uneven length. Nothing is known of the Nilakantha who is mentioned as its author. According to the editor, Ganapati Sastri, the three manuscripts he used are about two hundred years old. But the work is probably very much older. For aught we know it may go back a thousand years or even to a much earlier date. This, however, is purely conjectural; all we can say is that there is no positive trace of modernity in the work. The elephant-lore of our text is based on a genuine traditional knowledge which grew up among those whose business it was to deal with elephants, and that this tradition has persisted to modern times.
This sweet true story stars a tiny, orphaned elephant who was given another chance. When Chhouk, an Asian elephant calf, was found, he was alone, underweight, and had a severe foot injury. Conservationist Nick Marx of Wildlife Alliance rescued the baby elephant. With help from the Cambodian Forestry Administration, the Cambodian School of Prosthetics and Orthotics, and an elephant named Lucky, Nick nursed Chhouk back to health and made him an artificial foot. One of the first animals to ever be fitted with a prosthetic, Chhouk helped pioneer the technology -- and most importantly, was able to walk again!This true animal rescue story will satisfy animal lovers and capture the hearts of both young readers and their parents.
Goddess worship has long been a significant aspect of Hinduism. In this book David Kinsley, author of The Sword and the Flute—Kali & Krsna: Dark Visions of the Terrible and the Sublime in Hindu Mythology, sorts out the rich yet often chaotic history of Hindu goddess worship.
Basic Approach Developed as a comprehensive introductory work for scholars and students of ancient and early medieval Indian history, this books provides the most exhaustive overview of the subject. Dividing the vast historical expanse from the stone age to the 12th century into broad chronological units, it constructs profiles of various geographical regions of the subcontinent, weaving together and analysing an unparalleled range of literary and archaeological evidence. Dealing with prehistory and protohistory of the subcontinent in considerable detail, the narrative of the historical period breaks away from conventional text-based history writing. Providing a window into the world primary sources, it incorporates a large volume of archaeological data, along with literary, epigraphic, and numismatic evidence. Revealing the ways in which our past is constructed, it explains fundamental concepts, and illuminates contemporary debates, discoveries, and research. Situating prevailing historical debates in their contexts, Ancient and Early Medieval India presents balanced assessments, encouraging readers to independently evaluate theories, evidence, and arguments. Beautifully illustrated with over four hundred photographs, maps, and figures, Ancient and Early Medieval India helps visualize and understand the extraordinarily rich and varied remains of the ancient past of Indian subcontinent. It offers a scholarly and nuanced yet lucid account of India s early past, and will surely transform the discovery of this past into an exciting experience. Tabel of Contents List of photographs List of maps List of figures About the author Preface Acknowledgements A readers guide 1. Understanding Literary and Archaeological Sources 2. Hunter-Gatherers of the Palaeolithic and Mesolithic Ages 3. The Transition to Food Production: Neolithic,Neolithic Chalcolithic, and Chalcolithic Villages, c. 7000 2000 bce 4. The Harappan Civilization, c. 2600 1900 bce 5. Cultural Transitions: Images from Texts and Archaeology, c. 2000 600 bce 6. Cities, Kings, and Renunciants: North India, c. 600 300 bce 7. Power and Piety: The Maurya Empire, c. 324 187 bce 8. Interaction and Innovation, c. 200 BCE 300 ce 9. Aesthetics and Empire, c. 300 600 ce 10. Emerging Regional Configurations, c. 600 1200 ce Note on diacritics Glossary Further readings References Index Author Bio Upinder Singh is Professor in the Department of History at the University of Delhi. She taught history at St. Stephen s College, Delhi, from 1981 until 2004, after which she joined the faculty of the Department of History at the University of Delhi. Professor Singh s wide range of research interests and expertise include the analysis of ancient and early medieval inscriptions; social and economic history; religious institutions and patrona≥ history of archaeology; and modern history of ancient monuments. Her research papers have been published in various national and international journals. Her published books include: Kings, Brahmanas, and Temples in Orissa: An Epigraphic Study (AD 300 1147) (1994); Ancient Delhi (1999; 2nd edn., 2006); a book for children, Mysteries of the Past: Archaeological Sites in India (2002); The Discovery of Ancient India: Early Archaeologists and the Beginnings of Archaeology (2004); and Delhi: Ancient History (edited, 2006).
Based on a true story, tells of eight elephants working on the beach in Thailand that sound the alarm and rescue as many people as they can when a tsunami hits.
A winter illness left Lotus, a little girl, without a voice and without friends. A hunter's bullet left Feather, a crane, injured and unable to fly. As Lotus nurses Feather back to health, their bond grows. Soon Feather is following Lotus everywhere, even to school! The bird dances to the girl's reed whistle, much to the delight of the other children. One day, when the village floods, Feather helps raise the alarm as Lotus and her grandfather urge their neighbors to get to high ground. Feather is a true friend to Lotus, but the time comes when Lotus must be a true friend to him--by encouraging him to migrate with the rest of the cranes. The next spring, Feather miraculously returns, and that's not all . . . he has brought new life to the nearby lake. Inspired by the true story of a crane that rescued a Chinese village, and graced with sensitive watercolor illustrations, this lovely book about respecting nature offers deep emotion and delightful surprises.
The elephant emerged from the water, a moving wall of gray cut against a startling blue sky. Wild high grasses brushed the columns of her huge legs as she dwarfed the hill that rose behind her. Massive footprints left pools of river water where she emerged from the pond that had slaked her thirst and provided her family an afternoon of muddy play. Gently flapping ears became still; the pads on her great feet sank deep into the earth. She lifted her trunk, stood as if transfixed. Dusk approached and banished a reluctant sun. From miles away, something was coming.
Vietnam created the most sophisticated ceramics in Southeast Asia. Though they borrowed from China, Vietnamese potters explored their own indigenous tastes and developed their own production techniques. Blessed with the smooth gray-white clays of the Red River Valley, they created pieces that are amazingly light and thin-walled, with skillfully painted, incised, and carved decoration. Two particularly popular decorative themes were dragons (from whom the Vietnamese believed they were descended) and lotuses (considered archetypal symbols of Buddhist purity, because the flower emerges unsullied from the mud). Through a series of judicious purchases that began in the 1970s, the Birmingham Museum of Art, Alabama, has created an extraordinary collection of Vietnamese ceramic art. Essays by three noted experts introduce the collection. John Stevenson, co-author of Vietnamese Ceramics: A Separate Tradition, describes the evolution of Vietnamese ceramics and the contexts in which they were produced, and analyzes their aesthetic attraction. The Museum's senior curator, Donald A. Wood, explains the rich symbolism of decorative motifs found on Vietnamese ceramics. Independent scholar Philippe Truong, of Paris and Saigon, assesses the current state of the field.
