Tibet: Life, Myth, and Art - Michael Willis

This richly illustrated volume, with a foreword by the Dalai Lama, explores the themes that have piqued the popular imagination about Tibet.

In the light of iconography, pattern, motif, symbolism, pattern, as well as historical and spiritual perspectives, Willis (curator of North Indian and Himalayan collections at the British Museum) discusses topics including the intricate mandalas, the hero-saints, the Dalai Lamas, and the ferocious, sword-wielding multi-limbed gods that served as protectors of the land and religion.

Specially commissioned artwork, maps, and color photographs showcase the culture against the broader context of the civilization's wisdom, spirituality, and mythology.