Puja and Piety celebrates the complexity of South Asian representation and iconography by examining the relationship between aesthetic expression and the devotional practice, or puja, in the three native religions of the Indian subcontinent. This stunning and authoritative catalogue presents some 150 objects created over the past two millennia for temples, home worship, festivals, and roadside shrines. From monumental painted temple hangings and painted meditation diagrams to portable pictures for pilgrims, from stone sculptures to processional bronzes and wooden chariots, from ancient terracottas to various devotional objects for domestic shrines, this volume provides much-needed context and insight into classical and popular art of India. Featuring an introduction by the eminent art historian and curator Pratapaditya Pal; accessible essays on each religious tradition by Stephen P. Huyler, John E. Cort, and Christian Luczanits; and useful guides to iconography and terms by Debashish Banerji, this richly illustrated catalogue will provide a lasting resource for readers interested in South Asian art and spirituality. Published in association with the Santa Barbara Museum of Art Exhibition organized by Susan S. Tai, Elizabeth Atkins Curator of Asian Art Exhibition dates: Santa Barbara Museum of Art, April 17-July 31, 2016.

About the Author
Pratapaditya Pal has been affiliated with many prominent museums and universities as a curator and a teacher. He has organized numerous groundbreaking exhibitions on the arts of Asia; has written more than sixty books and catalogues on the ancient art and culture of India, Nepal, and Tibet; and was the general editor of Marg, a journal of art and culture published in India. His publications include Himalayas: An Aesthetic Adventure,Indian Sculpture (2 vols.), and Art of Nepal.

Reviews
"... a visually stunning coffee table conversation piece, and a stellar tool for use in a classroom to provide graphic, tactical examples of function and worship. Puja and Piety is a photographic journey exploring the intricate relationship that art holds within religion and lived spirituality." Reading Religion



Book Information
ISBN 9780520288478
Author Pratapaditya Pal
Format Hardback
Page Count 256
Imprint University of California Press
Publisher University of California Press
Dimensions(mm) 305mm * 229mm * 28mm