The Antiquity of Nepalese Wood Carving

A succession of discoveries and critical reevaluations in Mary Slusser's work on the history of Nepalese art and culture have revolutionized our understanding of this incredibly rich culture and art. Dr. Slusser fundamentally alters our understanding of the magnificent wooden sculpture of the Kathmandu Valley in The Antiquity of Nepalese Wood Carving.

The earliest of these wooden marvels, which were thought to have been created no earlier than the thirteenth century, have now been definitively shown to date from the sixth or seventh century, during the reign of the Licchavis, who ruled Nepal from approximately 300 to 850. Slusser has helped realign and rectify our unduly conservative accepted ideas about the antiquity of Nepalese wood carving by using an important scientific instrument, radiocarbon dating. The book is strengthened by the laborious study and documentation that Slusser is known for putting into his works. Her incredible photographic archive adds to it as well. This work shows lovely struts and architectural elements that have been long absent from the locations where Slusser first saw them in situ, and fresh images, mostly the work of Neil Greentree, reveal a richness of hitherto unknown detail. A Paul Jett essay that serves as a brief explanation of the principles of radiocarbon dating and a support for the study's updated dating of Nepalese wood carving is also given.