Ebook: The arts of Kashmir

Published on the occasion of the exhibition The Arts of Kashmir, organized by the Asia Society, and exhibited at the Asia Society and Museum, New York, October 1, 2007 through January 6, 2008 and the Cincinnati Art Museum, June 28 through September 21, 2008. An important cultural bridge between the Indian subcontinent and regions to the west and east for over two millennia, the Kashmir Valley was a vibrant hub of intellectual activity for its Buddhist, Hindu, and Muslim populations. Multiple cultural influences have fostered a unique artistic environment of diverse aesthetics, witnessed in this landmark exhibition of 130 sumptuous objects of exemplary quality, dating from the 2nd to the 20th centuries. The Arts of Kashmir comprises works of Buddhist, Hindu, and Islamic art, including sculpture, painting, and calligraphy loaned from collections in the U.S., Europe, and India. Many of the objects have never been seen outside of India; in some cases they have never been exhibited or published anywhere. To provide a sense of the broad artistic contributions of this famously lush and beautiful region, the exhibition includes examples of stone and bronze sculptures and manuscript paintings, in addition to the fine examples of papier-mache, carpets, shawls, and embroidery for which Kashmir is renowned.