368 pages | 254 images
The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston | Asia Society, New York
By Nancy Tingley

This book is divided into four time periods from the fifth century b.c.e. through the eighteenth century. The art is presented in historic and geographic context, revealing the history of trade and cultural exchange, such as the appearance of Buddhist statues and Buddhist inscriptions on tablets linking India and the Southeast Asian shores. Some objects in the catalogue are grouped by the temples or shipwrecks in which they were found. The comprehensive and varied material called for different treatments and configurations of presentation. This complexity extended to the reproduction photography, which came from numerous sources as varied as the objects themselves. To increase quality and create consistency, images were silhouetted and backgrounds were changed or extended. The pre-press direction and proofing for this process was extensive.