THE ART OF INDOCHINA: Including Thailand, Vietnam, Laos & Cambodia

A welcome addition to the excellent Art of the World Library in an excellent and comprehensive coverage of the little known contribution made by southeast Asia to architecture, sculpture, decoration. There exist great gaps in recorded history of this area; archaeology is making some contribution. But in the main a knowledge of the accomplishments in relation to ethnological, social and historical background provides educated guesses to fill these gaps. In Indochina the achievements in the plastic arts provide the chief survivals; the temples witness to the accomplishments maturing in the 13th century. Political equilibrium with China and India as conquerors is upset, and their influences are evident in the art forms. Man and his environment -- as always -- provide the background for the arts of Indochina.