Pearls of the Orient: Asian Treasures from the Wellcome Library

The impressive manuscript collection of the Wellcome Library in London, UK, receives a tribute in this handsome volume of essays by specialists at the Library, the British Library, and universities in the UK, Germany, and Russia. Though the Wellcome Library and Trust are devoted to medicine, many other subjects are contained in the Library's Asian manuscripts, as seen here in essays that treat topics that include marriage ceremonies in Hebrew manuscripts, Islamic calligraphy, Armenian attitudes towards images, astrological images in two Persian manuscripts, and a series of Tibetan banners. Other topics include Japanese medical texts and illustrations, and Indian manuscript painting. Each essay is illustrated with high quality color reproductions. Annotation (c) Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)