The Wall Paintings of Bamiyan, Afghanistan

Technology and Materials

By (author) Yoko Taniguchi By (author) Marine Cotte

Book cover: The Wall Paintings of Bamiyan, Afghanistan

Extent: 218 pages

Publisher: Archetype Publications Ltd 

Subjects: Art & Art History, Buddhist Studies, Medieval Studies

Language: English

Paperback (Published)

(December 2022)

ISBN: 9781909492899

8.27 x 11.69 inches

Price: $130.00

In stock

This volume presents groundbreaking research on the Buddhist wall paintings of Bamiyan, Afghanistan, including the earliest known use of oil-based paints, dating to the mid-7th century. Through detailed chemical analysis, the authors uncover materials and techniques that reveal rich cultural exchanges between East and West across Eurasia. Despite the site’s turbulent history and loss, these findings shed new light on the development of painting technologies and their global connections.


The site of Bamiyan in Afghanistan site has suffered numerous disasters throughout its history which have resulted in the loss of many of its cultural treasures, especially many of the Buddhist wall paintings which contain/contained much of the history of painting techniques. In spite of these losses, the authors of this volume discovered, in a cave in Bamiyan, the oldest example of the use of oil-based paints in the world dating back to the mid-7th century. This book presents important data collected through chemical analyses aimed at determining the materials and techniques used in the Buddhist wall paintings at Bamiyan. The results of these studies are discussed from a broad perspective, addressing the cultural interactions between the geographical east and west of the Eurasian continent.

  • By (author) Yoko Taniguchi
  • By (author) Marine Cotte