A World of BArgAIns: - Oxbow Books

Asia ‐‐ Oceania and the PacificWhen ordering, please quote the reference number 344 - 09The Sculptureof Early Medieval Rajasthanby Cynthia Packert AthertonDuring the early medieval period, from theseventh to the ninth centuries, the area of esternIndia now known as Rajasthan was transformedfrom a politically and artistically minor regionto one of relative importance. Rajasthan was thehomeland of the Gurjara Pratiharas, one of themost powerful dynasties in northern India, andmany important temples were produced duringtheir brief tenure there. While these monumentsprovide rich sources of information abouticonographic preferences and artistic styles, thisbook argues that they further provide important,and overlooked, clues to Rajasthan’s chargedearly political history. In analyzing sculpturalstyle and iconographic programs withinchronological and regional parameters, the bookproposes that the Gurjara Pratihara presencein Rajasthan was energizing but disruptive,particularly to dominant religious and stylisticpatterns in the region.238p ( Brill Academic Publishers 1997) Hardback$189.00 Reduced to $69.98Of Gold and Grass:Nomads of Kazakhstan, Treasures of theKazakh Steppesby Dr. Claudia Chang and Katherine S. GuroffA great selection of articles examining ancientcultures and traditions of the peoples populatingthe territory of Kazakhstan throughout theages. The handsome edition also features a greatselection of artifacts, including the details of thefamous Golden warrior costume and the newdiscoveries of Berel.180p (Mosaic 2006) Hardback $40.00Reduced to $14.98Asia’s Maritime Bead Trade300 BC to the Presentby Peter FrancisThis fascinating study is the first detaileddescription of the ancient and enduring trade inbeads that spans more than two millennia andonce stretched from the Middle East to East Asiaand affected areas as far apart as West Africa andthe American Pacific coast. Beads are universaland among the earliest art forms. Made of glass,semiprecious stone, or precious organic materialssuch as amber and coral, they were ubiquitousin the ancient world, serving as decorations,magical charms, mnemonic and counting devices,symbols of wealth and status. Much of the ancientbead trade was incorporated in Asian maritimecommerce, and many of the beads involved haveAsian origins.305p, illus (University of Hawaii Press 2002)hardback, 9780824823320, $54.00.Reduced to $14.98The Art of RiceSpirit and Sustenance in Asiaby Aurora AmmayaoOceania and the PacificA History of Sanskrit GrammaticalLiterature in Tibet Volume 2:Assimilation into Indigenous Scholarshipby Pieter C. VerhagenA systematic survey of the Tibetan noncanonicalliterature dealing with Sanskritgrammar, partly consisting of translations ofIndic works and partly of original Tibetanworks. The book then goes on to address theinfluence of Indic models of linguistic escriptionon Tibetan indigenous grammar. This particularassimilation of an Indic technical discipline intoTibetan scholarship is examined in detail, and itis shown that other segments of Indic Buddhismwere sources of inspiration and derivation forthe Tibetan grammarians as well.454p (Brill Academic Publishers 2000) Hardback$122.00 Reduced to $59.98The thirty-five lavishly illustrated essays describerice-related rituals and beliefs in parts of Thailand,Nepal, India, Indonesia, the Philippines, Vietnam,Japan, China, and Korea. Throughout, thejuxtaposition of magnificent photographs of worksof art – paintings, prints, ceramics, textiles, lacquerware, and sculpture – with objects of a morehumble nature – agricultural implements,ricestrawornaments, cooking utensils, baskets,puppets, votive plaques, and more – serves toindicate the striking pervasiveness of rice in allaspects and all walks of life.552p (University of California Press 2003) paperback,9780930741983, $60.00. Reduced to $29.98 Early 17th century Chinese woodblock print, thoughtto represent Zheng He’s ships.SigatokaShifting Sands of Fijian Prehistoryby Yvonne Marshall, Andrew Crosby, SepetiMatararaba and Shannon WoodAssesses the archaeological evidence from Sigatokasand dunes on the southwest shore of Fiji’s largestisland and presents a dynamic, interactive pictureof island life, with constant contacts with otherislands to the east and west. The information fromthis site is not only placed within the broadercontext of this group of islands, but also withinother theoretical migrationist and evolutionarymodels of island groups.129p, b/w illus & pls (Oxbow Books 2000) paperback,9781842170113, $60.00. Reduced to $14.98Confronting the Margaret MeadLegacyScholarship, Empire and the South Pacificby Lenora Foerstel302p (Temple University Press 1994) paperback,9781566392617, $19.95. Reduced to $6.98New IrelandRitual Arts of Oceania in the Collection of theBarbier-Mueller Museumby Michael GunnThis exhibition catalogue offers a general presentationof the cultures found in New Ireland’s differentregions, before going on to explain the symbolismand function of each of the pieces on display.164p, illus (Skira 1998) hardback, 9788881182077,$60.00. Reduced to $29.98The Kukukuku of the Upper Watutby Beatrice Blackwood,edited by C R HallpikeEdited from Beatrice Blackwood’s published articlesand unpublished field notes, this is an extensiveand well-illustrated study of the ecology, materialculture, social organization, rituals and cosmologyof the Kukukuku people, most of whom live in theMorobe Province of Papua New Guinea.204p, 38 b/w pls (Pitt Rivers Museum 1978, Pitt RiversMonograph Series) paperback, 9780902793132,$20.00. Reduced to $4.98Australia in Oxfordedited by Howard Morphy and ElizabethEdwardsThe museums, libraries and colleges of Oxfordcontain some of the greatest collections of recordsand objects from Australia’s recent past. This richlyillustrated guide looks at how Oxford perceivedAustralia as the city’s collections grew during the18th and 19th centuries and how Australia foughtagainst its perceived image. Eight contributionsexamine, for example, the botanical collection ofWilliam Dampier, the papers of Captain CharlesSturt (1795-1869), the evolution of anthropologyand the Australian universities of the 19th century.96p, 114 col & b/w illus (Pitt Rivers Museum 1988, PittRivers Monograph Series) paperback, 9780902793224,$20.00. Reduced to $6.98The David Brown Book Co. 30 www.oxbowbooks.com — toll-free 1-800-791-9354