Ananda K. Coomaraswamy (22 August 1877–9 September 1947) is a Ceylon-based metaphysician, historian, theorist, and philosopher of Indian art. He brought the Indian tradition of art into the western world. He was also seen as the bridge-maker between western and Indian art and philosophy, as he was much inspired by Hindu and Greco-Roman traditions. His works were influenced by the Traditionalist and Perennial Schools of Philosophy. He authored several books which were based on the traditional arts, metaphysics, and social criticism. He was also the curator of Indian art at the Boston Museum of Fine Arts.

• Introduction xi 1. Indo-Sumerian 2. Dravidians and Aryans 5 3. The Sagunaga-Nanda Period (642-320 B.C.) 12 4. Vedic Origins 20 5. Pre-Mauryan Sculpture 21 6. The Great Enlightenment 23 7. Early Buddhist Art—Maurya, guliga and Early Andhra 26 8. Development of Devotional Theism 32 9. Ku§ana and Later Andhra Period 36 10. The Gupta Period 44 11 . Early Mediaeval Period 51 12. Mediaeval Sculpture (A.D. 850-1200) 56 13. Southern India (Tenth to Eighteenth Century) 6o 14. Further India and Indonesia 64 15. Mediaeval Buddhist Painting 68 16. jaina Painting 71 17. Rajput Painting 73 18. Understanding Indian Art 78 Supplementary Bibliography 85 Notes on Illustrations 87 Index 93