For centuries, the vast Tibetan plateau has been scattered with heaps of carved stones—each slab or pebble inscribed with Buddhist mantras, sacred images, or auspicious symbols. These are mani stones, and they represent one of Tibet’s most widespread and deeply personal forms of folk art. Stone Carvings, a volume in the Tibetan Folk Art Series, brings together over a decade of fieldwork by the artist and scholar Han Shuli. Through more than 140 pages of striking photographs, the book documents the extraordinary variety of mani stone carvings found across different regions of Tibet, from the intricate styles of the east to the rugged, archaic forms of the far west. The carvings are organized not only by their religious meaning—ranging from Buddha figures and dharma protectors to the six‑syllable mantra—but also by their distinct regional artistic traditions. 

Fully illustrated with color photos, text in Chinese.

2001, Chongqing Publishing House, softcover, 145 pp., in a good condition.