The Flowering of a Foreign Faith, New Studies in Chinese Buddhist Art, by Janet Baker

Condition: New. 148 pages, 138 illustrations, This volume presents new research on how Chinese Buddhist art evolved and what characteristics mark it as distinctly Chinese. Touching upon the Indian roots of Buddhism, the authors focus on the transformations that took place once the belief system entered the Chinese political, social and philosophical sphere. Indian architecture, sculpture, and painting transformed indigenous Chinese art by introducing new subject matter, moral ideals, and a novel aesthetic. However, enough native Chinese principles prevailed to inspire the creation of new sutras and legends. These in turn inspired artists to create new visual means of appealing to Chinese audiences who needed to reconcile Buddhism with their existing beliefs and moral systems involving Confucianism, Daoism, and the highly stratified imperial power structure.