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| Orchid Press Publishing has a wide collection of well illustrated books, appealing to both the layman and the scholar, and written by specialists. Forthcoming releases are available in the libraries below. |
ORCHID BOOKS |
| Buddhist Monasteries of Nepal: A Survey of the Bahas and Bahis of the Kathmandu Valley by John K. Locke, S.J., photography by Hugh R. Downs 2009, 540 pp., 334 duotone plates, 2 folding maps, bibliography, 29 x 21 cm., hardcover. ISBN-10: 974-524-108-3 Price To Be Announced ISBN-13: 978-974-524-108-4 A definitive survey of the rich legacy of some 360 Buddhist architectural structures and remains in and around the Kathmandu Valley, including both the urban centers of Kathmandu, Patan and Baktapur, as well as surrounding villages. The study examines, for each site, its history, extant sacred images, details of torana, and caitya as well as the overall mandala represented in the monastery structure. The author also surveys such ethnographic details of Nepalese monastic life as daily and annual rituals, initiations, governing structure and economics. First photographed and published in the mid 1980s. Lineage deities, economics, history, governing body, initiations, annual festivals, daily rituals, mandala, caitya, torana, sacred images. |
| Gandhara: Lost Graeco-Buddhist Kingdom Text and photography by Ping Amranand 2009, 216 pp., 138 colour and 17 b&w plates, 6 maps and plans, chronology, bibliography, index; 27 x 27 cm., hardcover. ISBN-10: 974-524-116-4 Price To Be Announced ISBN-13: 978-974-524-116-9 In this carefully researched and beautifully illustrated book, author Amranand reviews the history of the ancient Gandharan kingdom, its history, development, its pinnacles and demise, its rich cultural heritage, and its spectacular traditions of art and architecture. As the intersection of the ancient world’s three great centers of civilization—India, China and Greece—as a region that played a pivotal role in the development and transmission of one of man’s most influential religions, Buddhism, its ancient ruins and fertile plains have long captured the imagination of all who have heard its name. Amranand juxtaposes the natural beauty of the present–day land with the glorious relics of its past to provide the reader, be he layman, scholar or armchair traveler, with an unforgettable vision of this mystical realm. |
| Ikat from Tanimbar by Marianne van Vuuren 2009, 180 pp., 107 col. and 50 b & w pl., 35 figs and over 250 line drawings, 4 maps, 2 tables, 1 chart, appendix, glossary, bibliography, 23 x 22 cm., softcover ISBN-10: 974-524-093-1 Price To Be Announced ISBN-13: 978-974-524-093-3 The textiles of Indonesia are widely appreciated by textile specialists, both professional and amateur; however, the intricate ikats produced in the Moluccas, at the easternmost end of the archipelago, prove to be an exception, in that little attention has been paid to this genre to date. The present book, the result of eight years' study by the author, herself an expert hand weaver, serves admirably to bridge this gap in our knowledge. The author provides the framework for the study by describing the techniques, materials and dyes used by the Tanimbarese weavers, as well as the social and ritual significance of the resulting cloths. The book concludes with an in-depth description and analysis of the iconography of the ikats of Tanimbar, cataloguing over 250 motifs employed by local weavers. Richly illustrated with new and historic photographs and numerous sketches and line drawings, Ikat from Tanimbar is an important and welcome contribution to the literature on Southeast Asian textiles. |
| Tibetan Amulets by Tadeusz Skorupski Preface by Per Kværne. 1984, 2000, 2009. 134pp., 2 col. & 5 b/w pl., 211 b/w ill. 21.5 x 14 cm., softcover. ISBN-10: 974-524-120-2 Price To Be Announced ISBN-13: 978-974-524-120-6 A systematic study of the Tibetan charms and amulets, mantras and cakras that have afforded their wearers protection for centuries and which remain a living tradition today. Drawing from indigenous works of the 19th century, the author illustrates and explains 109 amulets and their accompanying mantras, as well as 102 cakras, primarily associated with the Nyingma-pa and Bon traditions. The author also employs the amulets and cakras to reveal details of the myriad gods, demons and other supernatural beings—many incorporated into Buddhism from earlier belief systems—that comprise the Tibetan pantheon. |
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INDIVIDUAL TITLES
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| An Anthology of Buddhist Tantric Songs A Study of the Caryagiti by Per Kværne by Per Kværne 1977, 1986, 2009, xiv, 276 pp., 21.5 x 14 cm., softbound. ISBN-10: 974-8299-34-1 ISBN-13: 978-974-8299-34-1 The subject of this study is a small collection of songs known as Caryagiti, 'songs of the mystic path', or literally 'songs of the proper way of action', published by Hariprasad Sastri in 1916. These songs hold a unique place in India's spiritual and literary heritage, yet in many ways they have been imperfectly understood. This study clarifies many points that have hitherto remained obscure and provides a fresh and deeper insight into their structure and contents. The first edition was quickly sold out. The present edition is slightly revised, and the songs themselves are printed in red to distinguish them from the critical apparatus used in analysis and commentaries. |
| Cloud Hands: The Essence of T'ai Chi Ch’uan by Tew Bunnag 2009, 112 pp., 7 b&w plates, 21.5 x 14 cm., softcover. ISBN-10: 974-524-121-0 Price to be announced. ISBN-13: 978-974-524-121-3 A series of essays by a T’ai Chi master who has practiced the art for some 40 years and taught it to others, both to those in need of therapeutic help and to future trainers, for over 30 years. Through insightful essays on such topics as the Buddhist and Taoist ‘roots’ of T’ai Chi, on T’ai Chi as prayer, meditation, and martial practice, and on the essential need to combine physical with spiritual practice, Bunnag offers insight into the essence of this ancient and powerful art to all levels of interest. |
| The Development of Paper, Printing and Ink in Asia by Berthold Laufer 2009, 122 pp, 3 b&w plates, bibliography of the author, index, 21.5 x 15 cm., softcover. ISBN-10: 974-524-110-5 Price to be announced. ISBN-13: 978-974-524-110-7 An essay on the development of paper and printing in China, and a history of the development and use of various forms of ink in Asia, reprinted from sources long out of print and now very hard to find. Berthold Laufer (1874-1934) was one of the earliest and most erudite Western scholars of Asian culture. Fluent in many Asian languages, and leader of four major exploratory expeditions to Asia, he was the author of over 200 anthropological studies, books and papers. Includes a summary of Laufer's illustrious scholarly career, and a detailed bibliography of his writings. |
| Kingship and Law in Early Konbaung Period (1752-1819) of Myanmar: A Study of the Manugye Dhammathat by Ryuji Okudaira 2009, 216 pp., 4 colour and 1 b&w illustr., 9 tables, bibliography, glossary, index; 24.5 x 17.5 cm., softcover. ISBN-10: 974-524-117-2 Price to be announced. ISBN-13: 978-974-524-117-6 A scholarly study of the Buddhist legal system as it evolved in late 18th century Myanmar (Burma). The author, a specialist in Myanmar’s precolonial legal history, has discovered and analyzed a longforgotten revision, dated 1782, to the country’s then-governing legal authority, the 1760-65 original edition of the Manugye Dhammathat. He reveals the relevance of the revised code in the context of the efforts by the Royal Court to steer the country’s political philosophy in a direction supportive of the legitimacy of the Konbaung rulers and the supremacy of the Theravada Buddhist state under their sovereignty. An important new study on historical Southeast Asia’s most sophisticated Pali-based legal system, of relevance to all with interest in Southeast Asia’s legal and political history. Professor Okudaira, a former Japanese diplomat having served in Myanmar and the United Kingdom, is currently Professor Emeritus at the Tokyo University of Foreign Studies. |
| The Lore of the Chinese Lute: An Essay on the Ideology of the Ch'in by R. H. van Gulik 2009. 291 pp., 2 colour and 37 b&w plates, 8 woodcuts, index, 24.5 x 17.5 cm., hardcover. ISBN-10: 974-524-112-1 Price to be announced. ISBN-13: 978-974-524-112-1 The lute, ch’in or guqin is one of China’s oldest and most revered musical instruments. Records indicate that it has been a favourite of the literary classes for more than 2,500 years; Confucius himself was a great lover of the instrument. Over the centuries, it became representative of the life, taste and pastimes of the Chinese literati. In addition to its contributions to solo and orchestral musical arrangements, a wealth of symbolic meaning accrued to the lute, over time. Not only was knowledge of the instrument reserved for the literati, its study was believed to be conducive to meditation and to facilitate intellectual enlightenment. While a significant body of literature has been written on the lute in Chinese, the present monograph is the first to assemble a broad picture of the instrument and its cultural significance in English. The author, a renowned Sinologue and linguist, studied the playing of the instrument under one of the most famous lute masters of his age. |
| The Peacock's Children: Burma Protests 1885-2000 by Paul Webb 2009, 267 pp., map, notes, bibliography, 21.5 x 15 cm., softcover. ISBN-10: 974-524-069-9 $23.00 ISBN-13: 978-974-524-069-8 This book records the struggle for independence and democracy in Burma from the fall of the monarchy to the present day. Research was carried out in the British Library-Indian and Oriental Collection in London for valuable material concerning the British colonial period and its response to nationalist and student protests. Post-colonial material is complemented by extensive interviews in Burma, Thailand and Australia. The account is at times a harrowing one, underscoring the repeated dashed hopes for freedom, and the confusion and contradictions amongst Burmese themselves as to the right path to be followed to achieve true independence. In the Epilogue, the author brings us forward to 2003. Regrettably, little has changed since then; for Burma democracy seems as far away as ever. |
| Precious Materials in Asian History: Essays on Turquoise, Amber, Ivory, Diamond and Gold by Berthold Laufer 2009, 275 pp., 2 col. & 24 b&w plates, index, 24.5 x 17.5 cm., softcover. ISBN-10: 974-524-109-1 Price to be announced. ISBN-13: 978-974-524-109-1 Essays on the sources, usage, social significance and folklore of some of the most prominent precious materials in the history of China, South Asia and the Himalayas. A rich source of information on the anthropological implications of these materials, and the sometimes subtle links that developed between East and West in the quest for these treasured substances. Berthold Laufer (1874-1934) was one of the earliest and most erudite Western scholars of Asian culture. He was the primary contributor to the great collection of anthropological material now preserved at the Field Museum of Natural History, Chicago, a collection he curated for some 26 years. A world renowned expert on jade in China, his writings on which remain important references to the present, the current collection of essays summarize his writings on precious substances other than jade. |
| Secrets of Bali: New Light on the Morning of the World by Jonathan Copeland with Ni Wayan Murni 2009, 312 pp., 110 line drawings, 1 map, glossary, bibliography, index, 21.5 x 14 cm., softcover. ISBN-10: 974-524-118-0 Price to be announced. ISBN-13: 978-974-524-118-3 With its dramatic vistas, its attractive, hospitable people and its rich cultural traditions, the magical isle of Bali has captured the hearts and imaginations of millions, ever since visitors from the West began to arrive in the early 20th century. Incredibly, ancient Balinese cultural traditions remain richly intact today, in the face of 21st century modernity and a highly developed tourist industry. Yet few visitors ever really begin to understand the colourful pageantry that surrounds them virtually everywhere they travel on the island. Secrets of Bali is the key to this understanding. From Balinese life, religion, festivals and offerings, architecture, music, dance, textiles, dress, carvings and paintings, masks, manuscripts, meals and much more, this is the one book to which the visitor can turn for the answers. A ‘must’ for foreign visitors, residents, and those everywhere who have fallen under the spell of ‘The Morning of the World’. “Eloquent, enthusiastic, and jargon–free.” Dr Angela Hobart. |
| The Trial of the Honey Thief and Other Tales from Mandalay by Various 2009, 224 pp., 18 b&w sketches, 21.5 x 14 cm., softcover. ISBN-10: 974-524-122-9 Price to be announced. ISBN-13: 978-974-524-122-0 Mandalay, an ancient center of Burmese culture with rich traditions of music, dramatic and plastic arts and painting, was also, over its colonial period, an inspiration for many foreign writers and poets. Yet seldom have the voices of Mandalay’s own writers managed to have been heard. The present collection of 18 short stories are translated from the original Burmese writings of some of central Burma’s most eminent comics, essayists and authors. They speak eloquently, sometimes humourously and at times philosophically, about the lives of the common people of Burma today—the joys and trials of the young and old, of the denizens of city and country, of wives and husbands and lovers. |
| The Nine Ways of Bön: Excerpts from gZi-brjid Edited and translated by David Snellgrove 2009, 318 pp, b&w plates, 24.5 x 17.5 cm., softcover. ISBN-10: 974-524-111-3 Price to be announced. ISBN-13: 978-974-524-111-4 To practising bonpos, Bön simply means the true religion of Tibet, while to Tibetan Buddhists, Bön refers to the false teachings and practices that were prevalent before Buddhism finally succeeded in gaining a firm hold on the country. The present study resulted from a period during which the author, a renowned scholar of Asian languages and cultures, was engaged in intense contact with practicing bonpos. It consists of the translation of fundamental texts of Bön, based on a manuscript of some 400 years of age, in which the entire Bön tantric practice is summarized. In many ways remarkably parallel to the early Buddhist teachings, much of the Bön tradition was subsequently incorporated back into Buddhism when that religion was formally adopted into Tibetan culture. This important study, first published in the 1960s and long out of print, will be welcomed by all with interest in the religions of the Himalayas. |
| Keris and Ot her Malay Weapons by Gerald B. Gardner 1936, 2009. 144 pp., 91 b&w plates of photos and drawings, illustrating several hundred weapons, glossary, bibliography, 23 x 15 cm., softcover. ISBN-10: 974-8304-29-9 Price to be announced. ISBN-13: 978-974-8304-29-8 A new edition of a classic on Malay weaponry and war, originally published in 1936 in an extremely limited printing now virtually impossible to find. In addition to his work in description and classification of all sorts of Malay weaponry, Gardner spent significant effort in discussions on the origin of the kris and its close association with occult beliefs among Malays, an interest of Gardner’s which was to have a huge effect on him, later in life. Following his retirement from the British Civil Service in Malaya, not long after the original publication of this book, Gardner returned to the UK, where he focussed his interests on modern witchcraft, his writings and efforts eventually serving to revive the tradition. Garner is considered by many to be the 'Father of the Wicca Movement. A book on the Malay keris. was long overdue and many thanks are due to Mr. Gardner for his work. (GC Woolley; Journal, MBRAS, 1938) |
| Swish of the Kris: The Story of the Moros by Vic Hurley 2009. 304 pp., 21.5 x 14 cm., softcover. ISBN-10: 974-524-115-6 Price to be announced. ISBN-13: 978-974-524-115-2 An early, first–hand account of the Moros, the fierce Islamic warriors of the islands of Mindanao, Sulu, Jolo and other territories in the southern Philippines. The Moros, long renowned as the ‘Malay Pirates’, waged a highly effective 377 year war against the Spanish, as well as a host of other would–be subjugators, including the British, Portuguese, Chinese, Japanese and Dutch among others—all of whom suffered slaughter and ignominious defeat. The Moros accomplished this armed only with their legendary bravery and their kris—a weapon of both practical and magic dimensions. The American occupiers who replaced the Spanish at the end of the 19th century, equipped as they were with modern rifles, managed to wrestle the Moros to an uneasy truce; however, the same people are still an immense headache to the Filipinos and their American ‘advisors’ to the present day. The author, who lived and worked some seven years among the Moros, provides the reader with a colorful and well researched account of the people, their history, laws, customs and culture. The present account, first published in 1936 in an edition now extremely rare, remains the most detailed portrait of this incredibly brave and resilient people. |
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ASIAN PORTRAITS |
| Letters from a Burmese Grandfather by Randolph O'Hara 2009, 103 pp., 20 x 13 cm., softbound. ISBN-10: 974-524-119-9 Price to be announced. ISBN-13: 978-974-524-119-0 In the waning years of his life, an elderly Burmese gentleman, a retired Court official in the early 19th century, writes letters to his young grandson. In the sixteen messages that comprise the chapters of this book, the old man, drawing examples from his deep knowledge of the country’s recent history, its folklore and religion, attempts to convey to the boy the wisdom and most important lessons that he can distill from his life. Partly historical, partly philosophical, enjoyably readable, there is something for all generations in this delightful work of historical fiction. |
| Wanderings of a Naturalist in India, the Western Himalayas and Cashmere by Andrew Leith Adams, MD Second imprint 2009 (first edition 1867). 344 pp., 1 ill., index, 21.5 x 14.5 cm., softbound ISBN-10: 974-524-113-X Price to be announced. ISBN-13: 978-974-524-113-8 A vivid and early account of the birds and animals, both wild and domesticated, insects and plants of the north India and the western Himalaya, as sighted by Adams in his various expeditions through these regions. The author, in addition, has a keen eye for the landscape through which he conducts us, as well as for fascinating anthropological detail about the indigenous human inhabitants. Adams, an army physician, served with British forces in India and Kashmir, as well as in the Middle East and Canada, between 1848 and 1873; he was an avid student of natural history over the course of his postings. Following his retirement, he assumed a professorship of natural history at Trinity College, Dublin. |
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