In his concise introduction to the colourful and complex heritage of Tibet, W. Zwalf draws on the splendid paintings, brozes, costumes and jewellery in the British Museum, as well as on rare photographs taken before 1950. After a bief account of this little-known land and its history, he describes the unique form of Buddhism which developed behind its high mountain barriers and shows how rich and sophisticated was the art which served it. Since 1951 the rapid secularisation of Tibet has radically changed its culture, but in the collections of the great museums of the world its past glories at least will be preserved for all time. -- from page 4 of cover.