Overarching Essays
As with most traveling exhibitions, The Buddhist Heritage of Pakistan exhibit released a catalogue complete with full photographs of the collection and several essays to be used as both a reference to the nature of the collection and as a means by which to learn more about the culture of Gandhara, the Buddhist religion, and the geography of ancient Pakistan. The book features contributions from a variety of authors, most notably Christian Luczantis, the curator of the show The Buddhist Heritage of Pakistan: Legends, Monasteries, and Paradise, which consisted of the same objects displayed at the Asia Society in 2011 and was hosted by the Kunst und Ausstellungshalle der Bundesrepublik Deutschland in Bonn, and Fazal Dad Kakar, the head of Pakistan’s federal department of archeology and museums.1With the variety of authors and their unique perspectives on the artifacts and larger history, these essays seek to impart on the reader a sense of the distance modern interpretation has from older sources as well the manner in which research can reveal the larger context and meaning of individual objects.
Art Theory and the Catalogue
Continuing with the overarching theme of the varied influences in Gandharan art as well the exhibit’s emphasis on comparison and exploration, the latter half of the catalogue is given to essays discussing the manner in which previously discussed influences, whether political, cultural, or religious, manifest in the art displayed within The Buddhist Heritage of Pakistan exhibition and in similar collections.1Just like the earlier essays, this section features authors from a variety of universities ranging from Berlin to Seoul.2The work of Christian Luczantis also appears again in this section, making him the main contributor to the exhibition book.
- Ed. Proser, Adriana. The Buddhist Heritage of Pakistan: Art of Gandhara.
- “Juhyung Rhi.” Academia.