Gods And Masks Of The Kathmandu Valley

出版者:D. K. Printworld (p) Ltd.

作者:Anne Vergati

页数:xi, 155

出版时间:2000

价格:Rs. 1000

装帧:Hardcover

isbn号码:9788124601211

具体描述

The study, beautifully illustrated, focuses on the masks of gods, goddesses and demons worn by the Newars of Kath-mandu Valley. It deals with contexts in which the dancers wear the masks and with legends concerning the dances.

The presence of masks as both ritual and art objects is attested among the traditions of mankind’s oldest civilisations. Cutting across cultural and geographical barriers, they have exhibited a remarkable range and diversity of meanings throughout history. The present study focuses on the masks worn in the Kathmandu Valley by the main ethnic group, the Newars. A specific aspect of the Newars is that, despite the political dominance of Hinduism, Buddhism is still alive. The masks represent gods, goddesses and demons, but never the dead or the ancestors. The author argues that the reason for the absence of figurations of the dead or ancestors is to be explained by the funerary rituals. There are no memorial monuments or other objects which perpetuate the memory of the deceased: It is through rituals performed after their death that the memory is preserved. The distinction is made between statue-masks and the masks worn during ritual dances. The author focuses on the contexts in which the masks are worn by professional dancers and draws attention to the legends which explain the origin of the dances and their ritual role. Detailed descriptions are given of the dances performed during different festivals in the localities of the Kathmandu Valley. The masks then worn are destroyed and re-made ritually each year by painters. Anne Vergati explains the relation between the dancer as a social person with a social identity and the mask which represents a god or a goddess. The mask is not supposed to hide the face of the dancer but to transform his identity in such a way as to make of him a deity. Supported by numerous illustrations in colour, the book will appeal to historians and connoisseurs of art as well as to scholars of the cultures of the Himalayan regions.

作者简介

As an anthropologist and historian I specialized on the Newar of Nepal (a Tibeto-Burman ethnical group located in the Katmandu valley) and on Northern India (Rajasthan). Since 1975, I have focused my research on religious anthropology, more especially the cults and iconography of gods in Hinduism and Buddhism, and the various ways society and religion are intertwined in the organization of temples and lineages associations.

Newar civilization is basically urban, this is why I selected Bhaktapur as my fieldwork location, since the city forms a relevant single space whose unity is provided by the religious organization of Hindu and Buddhist temples, even more so during great festivals and rituals. Trying to enlarge my perspective to the anthropology of art, I am currently demonstrating the function of images in rituals, more especially the mandala.

Through a study of kingship at the Malla period, I had the opportunity to study the process of integration of Buddhist groups in a Hindu kingdom. Since 1989, I have been doing fieldwork in Western Rajasthan, on Rajput clans and genealogies, and more generally on the articulation of Hindu kingship with the divine realm.

——Anne Vergati

用户评价

这本书真是太迷人了！我拿到它的时候，就被封面那个充满神秘感的图案深深吸引了。翻开第一页，就被作者流畅而富有感染力的文字带入了一个我从未想象过的世界。仿佛我置身于尼泊尔的古老寺庙之中，空气中弥漫着焚香的味道，耳边回响着古老的经文。作者对细节的描绘简直是出神入化，无论是宏伟的建筑，还是人物脸上的表情，都栩栩如生。读着读着，我能感受到那种深厚的历史沉淀，以及隐藏在面具之下的那些古老的神话和传说。我一直对世界各地的文化都充满好奇，而这本书就像一把钥匙，为我打开了一扇通往加德满都山谷的神秘之门。我迫不及待地想了解更多关于那些神灵的故事，以及它们是如何影响着当地人们的生活。这本书不仅仅是知识的传递，更是一种心灵的体验，让我仿佛经历了一场穿越时空的旅行。我一直在思考，那些古老的面具背后，究竟承载着怎样的智慧和信仰？作者似乎能够洞悉一切，将这些抽象的概念变得如此具象，让人能够真切地去感受。我非常欣赏作者的文笔，它既有学术的严谨，又不失文学的韵味，读起来一点也不枯燥，反而充满了引人入胜的力量。

这本书有一种让人沉浸其中的魔力，一旦开始读，就很难停下来。作者对于文化和历史的深入挖掘，让我看到了一个截然不同的世界。我特别喜欢作者在描述那些仪式和庆典时所用的语言，仿佛能听到鼓点的节奏，看到人们舞动的身影。那些关于神祇的描述，充满了力量和敬畏，让人不禁对宇宙的奥秘产生更深的思考。我曾经对亚洲的一些古代文明有过一些了解，但这本书让我看到了一个更加鲜活、更加生动的图景。它不仅仅是关于历史的记录，更像是对一种生活方式、一种精神世界的深刻解读。我尤其被书中提到的一些故事所打动，它们充满了人性的光辉，也展现了人类面对未知和挑战时的勇气。我一直在思考，在现代社会，我们是否还能找到与这些古老信仰相连接的痕迹？这本书给了我很多启发，让我重新审视自己与世界的关系。我非常喜欢作者那种娓娓道来的叙事方式，既有引人入胜的情节，又不乏深邃的哲理。每次读完一个章节，都会有一种意犹未尽的感觉，期待着下一页会带来怎样的惊喜。

这本书就像一位博学的向导，带领我踏上了探索加德满都山谷的神秘之旅。作者的文字充满力量，将那些古老的传说和神话变得鲜活起来。我尤其被书中关于面具的描绘所吸引，它们不仅仅是装饰品，更是承载着历史和文化的重器。我一直在思考，在现代社会，我们是否还能找到与这些古老信仰相连接的途径？这本书给了我很多感悟，让我更加珍惜眼前的生活。我非常欣赏作者那种严谨而又充满人文关怀的写作风格，让我在阅读中既能获得知识，又能感受到温暖。每次读完一个故事，都会有一种想要与人分享的冲动。这本书不仅仅是关于一个地区的文化，更是一种关于人类精神的传承。我一直在想，那些古老的面具，究竟隐藏着怎样的智慧？

读完这本书，我感觉自己像是经历了一次心灵的洗礼。作者对加德满都山谷的描绘，让我感受到了那里独特的宁静与祥和，同时也充满了神秘的力量。那些关于面具的解释，不仅仅是简单的符号，更是承载着无数故事和信仰的载体。我一直对那些古老的文化符号有着浓厚的兴趣，而这本书正好满足了我的好奇心。我被作者对神话故事的解读所吸引，它们充满了智慧和哲理，让人在阅读中不断地思考。我尤其欣赏作者在描述那些艺术品时所用的语言，它们充满了诗意，让我能够感受到艺术的力量。这本书不仅仅是关于一个地区的文化，更是一种关于人类精神的探索。我一直在想，在现代社会，我们是否还能保持对这些古老信仰的敬畏之心？这本书给了我很多感悟，让我更加珍惜当下，也更加期待未来。我非常喜欢作者那种深入浅出的讲解方式，让复杂的概念变得易于理解，同时又不失深度。

这本书是一场视觉和思想的盛宴！作者的文字如同画笔，在我的脑海中勾勒出加德满都山谷的壮丽景象。我能想象到那些色彩斑斓的寺庙，以及在阳光下闪耀的金色屋顶。关于面具的描写更是让我着迷，它们仿佛拥有生命一般，诉说着古老的故事。我尤其喜欢书中对那些神祇的描绘，它们既威严又充满慈爱，让人心生敬畏。我一直在思考，在现代社会，我们是否还能感受到这种与自然和神灵的连接？这本书给了我很多启发，让我重新审视自己的生活方式。我非常欣赏作者那种富有画面感的叙事方式，让我在阅读的同时，仿佛身临其境。每次读完一个章节，都会有一种想要立刻前往加德满都山谷的冲动。这本书不仅仅是知识的传递，更是一种对生命的热爱和对未知的探索。我一直在想，那些隐藏在面具之下的，究竟是怎样的灵魂？