Searching for Ancient Egypt [Hardcover]

University Of Pennsylvania (Author), David J. Silverman (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0801434823 | ISBN-13: 978-0801434822 | Publication Date: October 1997 | Edition: First Edition

Lavishly illustrated in color, this book presents a spectacular collection of archaeological and artistic treasures covering the extent of Egyptian art from the Predynastic Period of the fourth millennium B.C.E. to the Greco-Roman period of the fourth century C.E. The volume features more than 130 objects ranging from architectural elements of a royal palace and funerary chapel to delicate jewelry and textile fragments, and contains many objects never previously shown in print.

In an introductory essay David P. Silverman documents major expeditions to sites in Egypt and Nubia and summarizes the new information gleaned about ancient Egyptian civilization. Donald B. Redford provides a general treatment of ancient Egypt history. The objects themselves are introduced with concise essays by recognized Egyptologists: Edward Brovarski, Rita E. Freed, Arielle P. Kozloff, David O'Connor, Edna R. Russmann, William K. Simpson, and Josef W. Wegner.

Contributors EDWARD BROVARSKI, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston RITA FREED, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston ARIELLE KOZLOFF, Cleveland Museum of Art DAVID O'CONNOR, Institute of Fine Arts, New York University DONALD REDFORD, University of Toronto EDNA R. RUSSMAN, Brooklyn Museum of Art DAVID SILVERMAN, University of Pennsylvania WILLIAM KELLY SIMPSON, Yale University JOSEF W. WEGNER, University of Pennsylvania

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

The Dallas Museum has been very busy fulfilling its mandate to educate the public, producing two books about its own collection of ancient art and publishing one about a traveling exhibit Dallas organized of the University of Pennsylvania's ancient Egyptian collection. The most extensive of the three books is the massive exhibition catalog, Searching for Ancient Egypt. A short history of the University of Pennsylvania Museum and its excavations puts everything into perspective. Seven essays by eminent scholars such as William Kelly Simpson and David O'Connor examine all aspects of Egyptian art, architecture, and crafts from the sacred to the mundane. If the illustrations are as excellent overall as the two samples sent with the galleys, they will add excellent detail to the text. The other two catalogs focus on elements of Dallas's own ancient art collection. Curator Bromberg and Kilinski (Jupiter's Loves & His Children, Univ. of Georgia, 1997) are well qualified to review ancient history and culture through its surviving artifacts in the Dallas Museum's modest collection. Independent scholar Deppert-Lippitz focuses solely on Dallas's lovely jewelry, beautifully illustrated here (how the gold does shine!). These holdings are a recent acquisition of outstanding quality that raises Dallas's collection in ancient art from small but elegant to one of importance in the study of the history of gold ornaments. While Bromberg and Kilinski's work is only for comprehensive ancient art collections, Deppert-Lippitz's catalog is excellent for any collection on the history of jewelry, and the Pennsylvania catalog should prove an outstanding addition to collections surveying ancient Egyptian art or the history of its excavation.?Mary Morgan Smith, Northland P.L., Pittsburgh
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Review

"Searching for Ancient Egypt is a stunning catalog of breathtaking work."—Bloomsbury Review

"Seven essays by eminent scholars such as William Kelly Simpson and David O'Connor examine all aspects of Egyptian art, architecture, and crafts from the sacred to the mundane. . . . An outstanding addition to collections surveying ancient Egyptian art or the history of its excavation."—Library Journal

"Elaborately produced with excellent color reproductions of the objects and furnished with a detailed bibliography, a glossary of terms, a concordance of the museum accession numbers and catalogue numbers, and an index, the volume is an outstanding example of what an exhibition catalogue should be."—Ronald J. Leprohon, Journal of the American Oriental Association

"A handsome, well-printed book which serves as an excellent introduction to a civilization that led the ancient Near East in social organization, painting and sculpture."—The Jerusalem Post

--This text refers to the Paperback edition.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 300 pages
• Publisher: Cornell University Press; First Edition edition (October 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0801434823
• ISBN-13: 978-0801434822
• Product Dimensions: 10.4 x 10.4 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #690,308 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars lavish photography gives the book more than 5 stars !, August 11, 2000

By 

Francesca Jourdan (Montreal, Canada) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Searching for Ancient Egypt (Hardcover)

In the first part of the book, David Silverman presents a brief history of the University of Pennsylvania Museum as well as fieldwork and excavations done in Egypt and Nubia; and Donald Redford gives a general overview of Ancient Egyptian history. The second part consists of a catalogue which provides a description of objects, along with a photograph and further reading. Featured objects are those of divine art (essay by Arielle Kozloff), royal art (Edna Russmann), private art (Rita Freed), architecture (David O'Connor), personal and domestic artifacts (Edward Brovarski), funerary arts (William K. Simpson) and Nubian art (Josef W. Wegner). Recommended, this book is for those needing to learn more on Ancient Egyptian art.