It is our good fortune to be in possession of a group of early Tibetan painted mandalas. It occurred to us that an exhibition, accompanied by a descriptive catalogue, might be of interest to the general public.

The mandala is not unknown in the West. Many books and articles have referred to this art form; the term mandala appears in western language dictionaries and is useed in common parlance. Still, the complex iconography of these mandalas often proves bewildering and incomprehensible to the uninitiated, and even those familiar with Tibetan art are not always aware of the mandala's subtle symbolic associations. We therefore thought it important to provide an introduction to these works which would facilitate greater understanding.

We are grateful to Jane Casey Singer for writing the following introduction to the mandala. We also thank Heather Stoddard for research which contributed to the entries; Robert Bruce- Gardner for providing his usual skillful conservation of the painting; Kitty Morris for mounting the paintings; Silvia Gaspardo Moro for designing and producing this publication; Renzo Rossi for valuable assistance; and Monica Smith, for her insightful advice and encouragement throughout this project.

Anna Maria Rossi

Fabio Rossi

London, January 1993