The first publication to explore Southeast Asian history from the 5th to 9th century through the region’s sculpture, this book offers a fresh and exciting approach to an enduring subject.

A fresh and exciting exploration of Southeast Asian history from the 5th to 9th century, seen through the lens of the region's sculpture

"Numerous Hindu and Buddhist kingdoms flourished in Southeast Asia from the 5th to the 9th century, yet until recently few concrete details were known about them. Lost Kingdoms reveals newly discovered architectural and sculptural relics from this region, which provide key insights into the formerly mysterious kingdoms. The first publication to use sculpture as a lens to explore this period of Southeast Asian history, Lost Kingdoms offers a significant contribution and a fresh approach to the study of cultures in Cambodia, Thailand, Burma, and other countries"--Distributor's website.

Chinese Buddhist and Daoist Sculpture in The Metropolitan Museum of Art --

A stunning showcase of exceptional and rare works of Buddhist art, presented to the international community for the first time The practice of Buddhism in Myanmar (Burma) has resulted in the production of dazzling objects since the 5th century. This landmark publication presents the first overview of these magnificent works of art from major museums in Myanmar and collections in the United States, including sculptures, paintings, textiles, and religious implements created for temples and monasteries, or for personal devotion. Many of these pieces have never before been seen outside of Myanmar. Accompanied by brilliant color photography, essays by Sylvia Fraser-Lu, Donald M. Stadtner, and scholars from around the world synthesize the history of Myanmar from the ancient through colonial periods and discuss the critical links between religion, geography, governance, historiography, and artistic production. The authors examine the multiplicity of styles and techniques throughout the country, the ways Buddhist narratives have been conveyed through works of art, and the context in which the diverse objects were used. Certain to be the essential resource on the subject, Buddhist Art of Myanmar illuminates two millennia of rarely seen masterpieces.

Presents works of art selected from the South and Southeast Asian and Islamic collection of The Metropolitan Museum of Art, lessons plans, and classroom activities.

This thorough introduction to the history, art, and culture of Arakan, an ancient state located in the northeast corner of Burma, explains and illustrates how Southeast Asia from the beginning of the first millennium absorbed and reinterpreted the influences of many cultures. It is written by a noted scholar who visited the area over many years while conducting research for her doctoral thesis on Arakan. Off the Bay of Bengal, in the northwest corner of Burma lie the splendid capital cites of ancient Arakan; Dhanyaawadi, Vesali and Mrauk-U (Myohaung) being the largest. Mentioned in Ptolemy's "Geographia" (2nd century), Arakan was from earliest times a cosmopolitan state with a vigorous and mixed culture. Indian Brahmins conducted the royal ceremonials, Buddhist monks spread their teachings, traders came and went, and artists and architects used Indian models for inspiration. Through Buddhism, Arakan came into contact with other remote countries, including Sri Lanka, Nepal, Tibet, and China. To the east were the many early empires of Southeast Asia: Burman, Siamese, and Khmer, while later came influences from the Islamic courts of Bengal and Delhi. This is the first comprehensive study on the history, art, and culture of Arakan. It also serves as an excellent introduction to the hitherto almost unknown bronze and stone art of Arakan.