Hardcover with DC, 320 pages, 420 high quality pictures, new edition 2024, new
Over one thousand years old, the Buddhist monastery complex of Tabo with its exquisitely preserved works of art ranks among the most fascinating cultural and historical treasures of mankind. The new edition of this richly illustrated volume shows the beauty of these legendary sanctuaries for the first time in the highest digital resolution and describes in detail the entire gamut of Western Tibetan artistic styles.
The monastery of Tabo, located in the northern Indian Himalayan region and founded in 996 AD, is the oldest temple complex in the Tibetan cultural area that has been preserved in its original state. Tabo’s main temple, the “Palace of Excellent Teachings”, is a unique work of art: 1,000-year-old sculptures and paintings together form a walk-in, horizontal mandala. Peter van Ham was able to spend decades photographing the temple halls, which are otherwise off-limits to cameras. In the book, he also provides detailed background information and the latest research findings on the spectacular yet endangered sanctuary.