Rare Tibet books in SA

A thousand years of masterpieces are set to be revealed for the first time in Murals of Tibet, a larger-than-life book limited to 998 copies worldwide, each signed and blessed by His Holiness the Dalai Lama. Exclusive Books has imported five copies of this extraordinary work, published by German art imprint Taschen, and will launch it on June 11 at a private function at its Hyde Park, Johannesburg, store.

Murals of Tibet comprises large-format photographs, by American writer and photojournalist Thomas Laird, of hundreds of ancient Tibetan paintings and frescoes. It has been described as a world heritage landmark that will take its readers on an epic journey to some of the Himalaya’s most remote treasures.

“This is a book for collectors of art and rare books alike,” said Ben Williams, general manager of marketing for Exclusive Books. “It’s a gigantic publication which comes with its own beautiful wooden cradle and provides a fully-immersive experience of the murals. It’s one and a half metres wide when you open it: you practically fall into the murals as you page through them.”

Laird spent more than a decade in Tibet searching for masterpieces that few have seen or photographed. Living among yak herders, farmers and monks, Laird’s primary motivation was fear: the fear that thousands of years of hidden artworks would be lost for future generations.

Murals of Tibet runs to 498 pages and features contributing commentary by authors Robert Thurman, Heather Stoddard and Jakon Winkler. Each copy has its own wooden stand, designed by Pritzker prize-winner Shigeru Ban, and a scholarly companion book.