Caves of the Thousand Buddhas, by Roderick Whitfield, Anne Farrer

This British Museum exhibition catalog describes objects collected from Central Asia at the beginning of this century by Sir Marc Aurel Stein. The first part displays paintings, banners, scrolls, prints, and textiles from Cave 17 of the Buddhist shrines at Dunhuang. Because this cave was sealed in the 11th century and not reopened until about 1900, the works found there are in excellent condition and provide a continuous record of Chinese artistic development from around the 5th century A.D. through the 11th century. The remainder of the catalog includes sculpture, architectural ornaments, ceramics, and miscellaneous items from Dunhaung and other sites along the Silk Route, used for trade with the West; thus, these objects show some classical Western influences. The catalog entries are informative and detailed and provide references to published literature on each item. An excellent acquisition for special and academic libraries, especially as there is little else in book form available on the subject.