"This book offers a brief survey of the history of Nepal recalling why, leaving aside the Kathmandu valley, the sum of knowledge on its material culture lacks the objective distance allowed by other non-European civilizations: the country, long closed to Western visitors, opened but recently, and documents prior to the 1960s are scarce." "Bertrand Goy's research into the archives leads us on the tracks of is statuary, while the ethnologist Gisele Krauskopff shares with us a line of thought supported by her field experience and her knowledge of Nepalese culture. The testimony of a photographer traveller who visited Nepal in the pioneering days completes this volume with Hugues Dubois' photographs of the masks and statuettes collected over the past twenty years by Max Itzikovitz." --Book Jacket.

Dharma and Puṇya explores the centrality of ritual practices and the agency of people in creating and amplifying the efficacy of Buddhist art. It presents paintings, illuminated texts, statues, and ritual implements from the Newar tradition in the Kathmandu Valley.

"Essential for both the traveller and scholar alike, Nepal fills a long dormant gap in the literature of this spectacular region and is a product of many years of individual research by scholars of Nepal's history, religion, art and sociology. It draws on a variety of authoritative studies of Nepal's cultural history that have been published in European and Nepalese languages." "The guide begins with an overview of the history of Nepal. This focuses on the Kathmandu Valley, with its rich and sophisticated culture, but also outlines developments of historical importance outside the Valley. This is followed by a detailed introduction to religion as it is practised in Nepal: here, the focus is on Hinduism and Buddhism, and on the major deities of each tradition, their relationship to one another, and their representation in art and sculpture." "Although written mainly by academics, the book is intended for a general readership. Easily portable in format, Nepal does not tell the reader where to stay, what to eat or what to wear. It will though help those who wish to appreciate the cultural splendours of Nepal in their historical and religious context and require more information than is imparted by the average tourist guidebook."--BOOK JACKET.Title Summary field provided by Blackwell North America, Inc. All Rights Reserved

The Kathmandu Valley is the most populated region of Nepal, and the Newar, probable descendants of the Kirati who settled in the Valley in the first millennium BCE, have for centuries created the art featured in Celestial Realms. In additin to Hindu and Buddhist sculpture and paintings, tribal works from the middle hill region are also included, providing a contrast with Newar production.