Ancient & Classical Books

Loot: The Battle over the Stolen Treasures of the Ancient World

Sharon Waxman

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 3 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

A journey across four continents to the heart of the conflict over who should own the great works of ancient art

Why are the Elgin Marbles in London and not on the Acropolis? Why do there seem to be as many mummies in France as there are in Egypt? Why are so many Etruscan masterworks in America? For the past two centuries, the West has been plundering the treasures of the ancient world to fill its great museums, but in recent years, the countries where ancient civilizations originated have begun to push back, taking museums to court, prosecuting curators, and threatening to force the return of these priceless objects.

Where do these treasures rightly belong? Sharon Waxman, a former culture reporter for The New York Times and a longtime foreign correspondent, brings us inside this high-stakes conflict, examining the implications for the preservation of the objects themselves and for how we understand our shared cultural heritage. Her journey takes readers from the great cities of Europe and America to Egypt, Turkey, Greece, and Italy, as these countries face down the Louvre, the Metropolitan Museum, the British Museum, and the J. Paul Getty Museum. She also introduces a cast of determined and implacable characters whose battles may strip these museums of some of their most cherished treasures.

For readers who are fascinated by antiquity, who love to frequent museums, and who believe in the value of cultural exchange, Loot opens a new window on an enduring conflict.

Pompeii and the Roman Villa: Art and Culture Around the Bay of Naples

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Editorial Review:

A sumptuous survey of life and art in Pompeii, Herculaneum, and the surrounding towns before the eruption of Mount Vesuvius, published in association with the National Gallery of Art. From the second century BC onward, prominent Romans retreated to their villas around the Bay of Naples, a popular vacation spot for relaxation and relief from the pressures of business. The picturesque bay provided an ideal setting in which to read and write, exercise, enjoy the gardens, admire the views, and entertain friends.

Julius Caesar, Caligula, Claudius, and Nero all built seaside villas in Baiae, and the emperor Augustus vacationed in Sorrento, Capri, and Posillipo. The richly decorated imperial villas set high artistic standards in the region, and the sculptors and painters whom the emperors employed found clients among the urban and suburban elite in Pompeii and Herculaneum.

The magnificent contents of these sumptuously appointed villas and townhouses are the subject of Pompeii and the Roman Villa, and with them the breadth and richness of cultural and artistic life that thrived around the Bay of Naples before the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in AD 79. An international team of experts, led by Carol C. Mattusch, examines this exquisite body of ancient Roman art, complemented by more than 200 lavish illustrations of paintings, sculpture, mosaics, frescoes, jewelry, glass, and more.

With contributions by Mary Beard, Bettina Bergmann, Stefano De Caro, Pietro Giovanni Guzzo, Kenneth Lapatin, and Carol C. Mattusch.

Beyond Babylon: Art, Trade, and Diplomacy in the Second Millennium B.C. (Metropolitan Museum of Art)

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Editorial Review:

This important volume describes the extraordinary art created in the second millennium B.C. for royal palaces, temples, and tombs from Mesopotamia, Syria, and Anatolia to Cyprus, Egypt, and the Aegean. Objects of the highest artistry reflect the development of a sophisticated trade network throughout the eastern Mediterranean region and the resulting fusion of Near Eastern, Aegean, and Egyptian cultural styles.

The impact of these far-flung connections is documented in the precious materials sent to royal and temple treasuries and, most dramatically, in objects discovered on merchant shipwrecks off the shores of southern Anatolia. The history of the period and the artistic creativity fostered by interaction among the powers of the ancient Near East, both great and small, are discussed by an international group of scholars in essays and entries on the more than 350 objects included in the exhibition, continuing the fascinating story begun in the landmark catalogue Art of the First Cities (2003).

Great Book of Celtic Patterns: The Ultimate Design Sourcebook for Artists and Crafters

Lora S. Irish

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 7 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

The defintative sourcebook!!! 5 out of 5 stars.
6 of 8 people found this review helpful.

Superbly written. Stunning array of patterns and descriptions. A must have for your craft source library.

Celtic knotting 4 out of 5 stars.
4 of 5 people found this review helpful.

Interesting and informative book from the beginnings of the creation of the Celtic knot, to applying in artistic venues. Only thing that could have been offered, more ideas on uses for the patterns, not just pencil renditions. Beading, embroidery, stained glass, tole painting.

Editorial Review:

Calling on geometric forms found in Celtic monuments and manuscripts, this crafter’s companion presents basic design principles and step-by-step instructions for plotting out and drawing lines, twists, braids, and knots in the ancient Irish tradition. With lessons that can be applied to a multitude of arts and crafts—from needlework and woodworking to decorative painting—this instructional guide unravels the secrets to creating intricate Celtic knot work. Offering increasingly intricate designs with the addition of lines and new textures, artisans of any skill level will revel in the endless archive of original patterns provided in this sourcebook.

How to Read Chinese Paintings (Metropolitan Museum of Art)

Maxwell K. Hearn

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Total reviews: 1 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

The Chinese often use the expression du hua, “to read a painting,” in connection with their study and appreciation of such works. This volume closely “reads” thirty-six masterpieces of Chinese painting from the encyclopedic collection of The Metropolitan Museum of Art in order to reveal the major characteristics and themes of this rich pictorial tradition. The book examines multiple layers of meaning—style, technique, symbolism, past traditions, and the artist’s personal circumstances—through accessible texts and numerous large color details. A dynastic chronology, map, and list of further readings supplement the text.

Spanning a thousand years of Chinese art, these landscapes, flowers, birds, figures, religious subjects, and calligraphies illuminate the main goal of every Chinese artist: to capture not only the outer appearance of a subject but also its inner essence.

Discoveries: Petra: Lost City of the Ancient World (Discoveries (Abrams))

Christian Auge, Jean-Marie Dentzer

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 5 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Petra 5 out of 5 stars.
35 of 38 people found this review helpful.

This book has been done in a style similar to a National Geographic magazine. It combines a history of the city and its excavations with exquisite photographs and drawings. This book was well researched and does an excellent job describing the ancient city which was carved entirely out of the cliffs which make Petra unique. I reccomend this book to anyone who has an interest in the history of the Fertile Crescent, Jordan, archaelogy, or the 7 wonders of the ancient world (This book asserts that Petra is considered to be an eighth wonder).

Perfect travel companion... 5 out of 5 stars.
23 of 23 people found this review helpful.

Even though it lacks the details of bigger books such as Udi Levy's "The Lost Civilization of Petra" (a hardback book), it doesn't mean it lacks details altogether! I found this book to be a great source of information while I was travelling since it is small and stocked full of info on Petra, the Nabateans, and more.

This book is loaded with colorful well-photographed pictures and lithographs, and lively-written text which makes reading it a breeze. I fit this book in my back pocket while in Petra and pulled it out to get details on things like the great cisterns and the waterway through the main siq. The section at the end of the book on modern plans to try and preserve Petra's vulnerable sandstone is very interesting... Electophoresis?!?! Wow!

The book wraps up everything with a chronology at the end and a list of Nabataea's kings. A very enjoyable and informative read considering its small size... Big things do come in small packages!

Editorial Review:

This rich narrative history surveys the art, culture, and stunning architecture of the ancient city of Petra, whose hidden monuments are carved out of Jordan's rocky cliffs, and whose rare beauty steadily draws tourists to this remote site in the Arabian desert. 125 illustrations, 108 in full color, 5 x 7"

Hadrian: Empire and Conflict

Thorsten Opper

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Total reviews: 1 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

Even in the panoply of Roman history, Hadrian stands out. Emperor from 117 to 138 ad, he was at once a benevolent ruler and a ruthless military leader, known for his restless and ambitious nature, his interest in architecture, and his passion for Greek culture. This book moves beyond the familiar image of Hadrian to offer a new appraisal of this Emperor’s contradictory personality, his exploits and accomplishments, his rule, and his military role, against the backdrop of his twenty-one-year reign.

Lavishly illustrated with key works of art and objects, celebrated and little-known sculptures, bronzes, coins and medals, drawings, and watercolors from museums around the globe, the book conveys a vivid sense of the world Hadrian inhabited. Thorsten Opper shows the emperor from many angles—as a complex individual, as a military leader and strategist, as the amateur architect who created magnificent buildings such as his villa at Tivoli (an empire in miniature), as the lover who deified his male lover Antinous after his mysterious death in the Nile, and, finally, as the traveler who tirelessly roamed his empire and its boundaries.

From his place in Roman history to his legacy, which even makes its way into the popular culture of our day, the Hadrian who emerges from these pages is no longer larger than life; rather, he has all the depth and complexity, the color and shadings and detail of life itself.

(20080915)

The Encyclopedia of Tibetan Symbols and Motifs

Robert Beer

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Total reviews: 15 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

Tibetan Buddhism has one of the most complex iconographies of any religion. Robert Beer, the artist who brought to life the saints of Tibetan Buddhism in Buddhist Masters of Enchantment, has now brought the myriad symbols of Tibetan Buddhist art to life. Not exactly arranged like an encyclopedia, this book is more like a tour of the categories of Tibetan Buddhist symbols, beginning with Landscape Elements (rocks, clouds, rainbows, etc.); moving on to such areas as Flowers and Trees, Cosmology, and Mudras (hand gestures); and ending with Geometric Borders. Exquisitely detailed line drawings (using fine-pointed traditional brushes) are grouped on full-size plates, each of which the author tells us took between 50 and 200 hours to draw. The eight years that went into this book are revealed not only in the drawings but also in the text that is equally detailed in its descriptions of the religious significance of the symbols as well as their sources and development in Tibetan art. Beer's encyclopedic knowledge has not come from book learning, but from 30 years of doing Tibetan art and learning firsthand from Tibetan masters. After glimpsing just of few of these plates, you'll be calling Beer a master too. --Brian Bruya

The Mayan and Other Ancient Calendars (Wooden Books)

Geoff Stray

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Total reviews: 2 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Wonderful little book! 5 out of 5 stars.
8 of 12 people found this review helpful.

This small but wonder filled book will delight any enthusiast of Mayan studies, as well as those interested in ancient calendars far and wide.

The cover is exquisite. It is beautifully rendered and will grace any book shelf. This is a book to keep handy for friends and guests will enjoy this truly charming addition to the library.

Editorial Review:

The only small, popular book on the important subject of ancient calendars.

The study of heavenly cycles is common to most ancient cultures. The ancient Egyptians, Chinese, and Babylonians all tried to make sense of the year. But it fell to the later Mesoamerican Maya to create a series of calendars that could be cross referenced. In doing so, the Maya discovered many strange numerical harmonics. Their lunar calendar was extremely accurate—far more so than the Greek Metonic cycle; they tracked Venus to an accuracy of less than a day in five hundred years and their tables could have been used to predict eclipses seven hundred years in the future. This book will provide a much needed compact guide to the Mayan calendar systems as well as covering the essentials of calendar development throughout the world.

Reading Egyptian Art: A Hieroglyphic Guide to Ancient Egyptian Painting and Sculpture

Richard H. Wilkinson

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Total reviews: 9 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Top-notch! 5 out of 5 stars.
33 of 34 people found this review helpful.

What a wonderful book!

The author takes 100 of the hieroglyphs used in writing Egyptian, and used in Egyptian art. (Symbols are identified by the Gardiner code number.) He dedicates 2 pages to each symbol - the right-hand page gives an analysis of the meaning and uses of the symbol, and the left-hand page, through line drawings and photographs, illustrates how the symbol is used.

Whether you study it page by page, or just dip in and browse, this book can be used, with profit, by anyone interested in the language or art of ancient Egypt.

An essential guide for students 4 out of 5 stars.
21 of 25 people found this review helpful.

Wilkinson is a professor at the University of Arizona (or was) and I believe may still be directing that institution's work in the Valley of the Kings. As he points out in this volume, one of the things often missed in regards to Egyptian art is that it is intended to be "read". Even paintings and objects in the round are often constructed using hieroglyphs. The author gives a well written, organized overview of the rudiments of learning to see into Egyptian art more of what the artist intended the viewer to see. Very nicely illustrated with an excellent selection of examples.

Editorial Review:

The art of ancient Egypt has excited imaginations for centuries. But without knowledge of hieroglyphic images, Egypt's rich artistic legacy, from colossal statues to finely wrought jewelry and miniscule charms, remains obscure. Here, for the first time, is an introduction to the symbolic language of hieroglyphics. 358 illustrations.