Tibetan Manuscripts and Early Printed Books Volume I and II Edited by Former CEAS Affiliate Member Matthew T. Kapstein

Former Numata Visiting Professor of Buddhist Studies at the Divinity School, and CEAS affiliate, Matthew T Kapstein's recently edited volumes of Tibetan Manuscripts and Early Printed Books have been written by the foremost experts in the field whose wide-ranging essays are illustrated with numerous full-color images of original works.  Volume I compiles material by an international team of specialists that provide a comprehensive introduction to the material and aesthetic features of the wide range of Tibetan books. described in detail and illustrated with copious full-color photographs while Volume II explores the major categories of traditional Tibetan books, introducing their specific features and the main approaches to their study.  Addressing students and scholars of Tibetan Buddhism and Tibetan history and culture in their varied dimensions, Volume I also covers topics including the manufacture of paper and ink, format and layout, scripts and scribal conventions, illumination and decoration, woodblock printing, book storage, preservation, and the use of contemporary digital technologies for the documentation of traditional works. Volume II will also interest scholars and other readers oriented more broadly to the global history of the book.

For more information, click on the below links:

Tibetan Manuscripts and Early Printed Books, Volumn I

Tibetan Manuscripts and Early Printed Books, Volumn II

The Numata Center for Buddhist Studies at the University of California, Berkeley, recently announced that the winner of the 2024 Toshihide Numata Book Award in Buddhism is Matthew Kapstein (Professor Emeritus, École Pratique des Hautes Études), for his edited book Tibetan Manuscripts and Early Printed Books, Vol. 1: Elements (Cornell University Press, 2024).  The Toshihide Numata Book Award in Buddhism is presented on an annual basis to an outstanding book in the area of Buddhist studies. For more information, click here.