Female Buddhas: Women of Enlightenment in Tibetan Mystical Art

Whereas the art of most Buddhist countries features a preponderance of male images, the art of Tibet has traditionally emphasized what the authors call ""the strong role of the feminine."" This book, one of the first Western titles ever to analyze this unique artistic tradition, is the companion volume to a touring art exhibit about female buddhas. Mullin, a Tibetologist and Buddhist scholar, writes that feminine imagery in Tibetan frescoes and tangka paintings reinforces the notion of the personification of wisdom and meditative consciousness. In Part I, Mullin explores the historical importance and symbolic significance of female buddhas, while the accompanying full-color photographs and illustrations demonstrate their role in daily devotion and meditation. Part II is devoted to the art and its interpretation, with dozens of reproductions of Tibetan masterpieces, drawn from the collection of the Rubin Art Museum that is slated to open in 2004 in New York. (May)