When the Pyramids Were Built: Egyptian Art of the Old Kingdom [ILLUSTRATED] (Hardcover)

by Dorothea Arnold (Author), Bruce White (Photographer)

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal
Written by British curator Malek (In the Shadow of the Pyramids: Egypt During the Old Kingdom), Egyptian Art is another in Phaidon's solid "Art & Ideas" series. It follows the tradition of other titles in The other three titles were published to coincide with the international traveling exhibition "Egyptian Art in the Age of the Pyramid," seen recently at New York's Metropolitan Museum of Art (MOMA). When the Pyramids Were Built is a streamlined version of the official catalog. With no index, it will not be a first choice for reference, but Arnold (the curator of the Egyptian department at MOMA) provides a well-written and very accessible text. Its readability, combined with the quality of the photographs and the modest price, makes this an excellent purchase for most public libraries. The 25 internationally respected Egyptologists who contributed to Egyptian Art in the Age of the Pyramids provide a valuable look at recent developments in the field. In particular, the redating of many artifacts results in a very different view of the artistic trends of the period. The profuse illustrations vary in quality, but their sheer number, added to the high-level scholarship of the text and the three detailed indexes (general, sites, and owners of the artifacts), makes this an important book for all academic and most medium and large public libraries. Egyptian Treasures from the Egyptian Museum in Cairo covers a much greater time span than the other three titles. The text, written by a virtual who's who in Egyptology, is a bit uneven--as is usually the case with so many authors. However, all of the text is comprehensible, and some of it (such as the argument that Tutankhamun was not murdered) is fascinating. Unfortunately, there is no index, but the layout is chronological, giving some hope of finding specific artifacts. The real treasure of the book lies in Araldo De Luca's stunning photographs. Often, De Luca sees with his camera's eye things that few visitors would notice. The book's large trim allows for many life-size illustrations, and at all times the illustrations do justice to a phenomenal collection. Highly recommended for all academic and most public libraries.
-Mary Morgan Smith, Northland P.L., Pittsburgh
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Review
...contains essays by renowned Egyptologists and is richly illustrated with hundreds of black-and-white and color photographs. -- The New York Times Book Review, Suzanne MacNeille --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 144 pages
• Publisher: Rizzoli International Publications; illustrated edition edition (November 13, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0870999087
• ISBN-13: 978-1413288544
• Product Dimensions: 12.5 x 9.5 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.6 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #815,047 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Glory of the Old Kingdom, March 29, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Egyptian Art in the Age of the Pyramids (Hardcover)

This volume is the a catalogue of the recent exhibition of the art of the Old Kingdom of Egypt (c. 2649-2150 BCE), one of the grandest and significant periods in ancient Egyptian history. During this period, Egyptian art and architecture reach levels that not matched in many other periods and to a large extent represent one of the peaks of human achievement in all times. This exhibition has brought together most of the important objects from this period from collections throughout the world. In this volume, there are excellent discussions on a wide variety of topics and fantastic photographs of the various objects. This is clearly a "desert island book", probably the best available book on the Old Kingdom art of Egypt and one of the best and nicest books on ancient Egypt in general

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Superb Illustration Of The Glories Of Egypt's Old Kingdom, November 25, 2004

By	Simon Davis - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)

This review is from: Egyptian Art in the Age of the Pyramids (Hardcover)

This magnificent volume devoted to the approximate 500 years that made up Egypt's Old Kingdom period(2649-2150 B.C.), is truly unsurpassed in information and artifacts that were brought together from collections in Egypt, France, Italy, Britain, the United States and elsewhere for a unique travelling exhibition titled: "Egyptian Art In The Age Of The Pyramids". As a lover of all things to do with Ancient Egypt I was amazed by this wonderful work that had as its focus not the frequently photographed treasures of Tutankhamen or the Valley of the Kings but instead on this much earlier period of Egyptian history that saw some of Egypt's most wonderous works of art and building accomplished.

For those not able to see the exhibition this book is a wonderful guide and source of information that can be enjoyed by people just developing an interest in early Egypt and also by those with a fairly advanced knowledge of this civilisation and its wonders. I was amazed by the terrific attention to detail and especially by the fact that many of the items featured have not been widely seen or examined in detail before. The volume begins with some detailed maps of the different regions of Egypt in the Old Kingdom period so that the reader can get a feel for where the various items featured originated from. A brief run down on the six dynasties of the Old Kingdom and their history including the Pharaohs who reigned during them is also included and certainly helps to give the items a proper time frame and place in the overall history of Egypt. The first chapters of the book cover specific areas of interest and vary from a detailed examination of the incredible Step Pyramid of King Djoser through various tombs of officials and court dignitaries to an examination of royal statuary, furniture of the old Kingdom, and the excavations that have taken place at old Kingdom sites. Each of these chapters contain a detailed commentary of the topic under discussion by various world wide experts and each include breathtaking colour and black and white photographs, maps and drawn ilustrations of tomb reliefs and wall paintings. The text in these chapters is clear and concise and easy to follow while still being incredibly informative with much background information included. These chapters really are a great introduction to all facets of cultural and religious life in the Old Kingdom.

The second section of "Egyptian Art In The Age of The Pyramids", deals with each individual artifact that was included in the travelling exhibition. Each item is accompanied by a beautiful colour illustration photographed often against a neutral background for maximum effect and also includes any other available photos that may have been taken when the piece was being excavated or from the site it was found in . Each item also has a detailed description and a background history and includes which dynasty of the Old Kingdom it comes from and who the reigning Pharaoh was at that time. Measurements and the loaning museum are also included to give a very detailed run down on the modern origins of each piece. The marvel of the items as stated is that both well known and quite rare items are included in the volume. We get to see such diversely famous pieces as the blue tile wall decorations from the under ground chambers of the Step Pyramid of Pharaoh Djoser, and the majestic twin statue of Pharaoh Menkaure and his Queen, through to the extremely rare Silver and Turquoise inlaid braclets belonging to Queen Hetep-Heres, the mother of Pharaoh Cheops, and the extremely touching statue of Queen Ankh-Nes-Meryre nursing her young son, the boy Pharaoh Pepi II. Less well known pieces such as vivid wall paintings from some of the nobles tombs, wooden statues of farmers and alabaster vases in the shape of monkeys from unknown sources really bring to life the everyday existence of both the priviledged and the general population during the six dynasties of the Old Kingdom.

As an amateur Egyptologist I would dearly have loved to see this original exhibition at the Metropolitan Museum of Art however having missed that this splendid book is a perfect way to enjoy the wonderful artifacts that were included and to learn in a detailed but user friendly way much about Egypt during the Old Kingdom. "Egyptian Art In The Age Of The Pyramids", is one of the most tresured books in my personal library and I highly recommend it to all readers interested in ancient history and in early Egypt in particular. This volume itself is a true treasure just like all the precious items it so lovingly features in its pages. Enjoy!

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars AN AMAZING LOOK AT THE ANCIENT WORLD, February 20, 2004

By	Gail Cooke (TX, USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 10 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)    (COMMUNITY FORUM 04)

You don't have to be an Egyptologist to appreciate the exhaustive research that went into the compilation of this catalogue that accompanieD a blockbuster exhibit at The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City.

The amazing work of Old Kingdom (c.2650 - 2150 B.C.E.) artists is splendidly displayed on glossy fact filled pages.