This important new study looks at the intersection of Greek and Egyptian art forms in the funerary sphere of Roman Egypt. A discussion of artistic change; cultural identity; and religious belief foregrounds the detailed analysis of more than 150 objects and tombs; many of which are presented here for the first time. In addition to the information it provides about individual works of art; supported by catalogue entries; the study explores fundamental questions such as how artists combine the iconographies and representational forms of different visual traditions; and why two distinct visual traditions were employed in Roman Egypt.
#4611611 in eBooks 2006-02-03 2006-02-03File Name: B000WEPGVW
Review
7 of 7 people found the following review helpful. Postcards from a Chinese pastBy Guy Benveniste; Professor Emeritus; University of California; BerkeleyIf you love postcards; old post cards with strange stamps and simple addresses; if you like postcards from far away places you had heard about and wished you had traveled to; if China happens to interest you because it is rapidly transforming into a super power or if you happen to live in China and want to have a glimpse at the road traveled; then; this is a must get and buy book.Felicitas Titus lived in China as a child when some of these postcards were mailed. She came to the USA in 1950 and because she missed her old childhood haunts; she began collecting old China postcards after finding a big batch in a San Francisco antique store. She gathered 6 big albums and this well bound Tuttle production is her effort to share her collection with us.The book is the right size; not too large or heavy; and well organized. After an excellent foreword by Susan Naquin; we find 25 small chapters giving us sometimes; as many as 4 postcards per page with suitable explanations. Each post card is tentatively dated and this helps us situate them in time. Thus we enter the past and visit the Forbidden City; meet the Imperial Family. We also go to the Legation Quarter; have a glimpse of luxury hotels for foreigners; come into Coal Hill and the Winter Palace. Later on; we find ourselves at Yuanmingyuan and the old Summer Palace; the Ming Tombs and the Spirit Path. We also witness the coming of the railroad; plain street life; native transportation and finish our splendid visit at the Great Wall. As you place the book down; you have the Proustian memory of your own past and how times have altered the worlds we live in.3 of 3 people found the following review helpful. Gorgeous Views of Old BeijingBy ancient cheddarThis is a beautifully presented book of postcards of Old Beijing -- what used to be called Peking; China. Many of the pictures are unusual and sometimes beautiful. There are over 300 postcards; including the Forbidden city; the Empress Dowagers residence; the Spirit Path; an Observatory; the Catholic Cathedral; which looks a lot like Notre Dame; the Outer Wall; pagodas; arches; a bell-tower which goes back to Kublai Khan; and many other views. There is a series of illustrated cards which show a series of fanciful roccoco palaces built in a part of the Garden of Perfect Clarity; also called the Old Summer Palace. The palaces were destroyed in the Second Opium War in 1860. There are also views of citizens of Beijing; showing street vendors and artisans; farmers; and children.The accompanying text by Felicitas Titus; who lived for a time in Beijing; explains the cards well with interesting detail; so you can learn about what you are seeing. Here is a quote from page 51: " We see on a postcard what seems like an interminably long Donzhimen Boulevard; an example of the geomantic east-west grid according to which the city was laid out by the builder of Beijing; the emperor Yongle.... So-called saddleback houses of the Manchus; made of gray brick with inner courts for the extended families; lined this long Tartar City thoroughfare; as can be seen on this postcard."The print quality is excellent. It makes a fine coffee table book. I only wish each card had gotten its own page; they are so beautiful. It is recommended for anyone; but especially those interested in Chinas history; culture and architecture.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Not the Beijing of today; but as it was...By AnonymousLots of excellent pictures. A must own for people who want to see the old buildings; and the tree-lined streets of old Beijing. Sites that are increasingly rare; or altogether gone in the Beijing of today. These seem mostly to be very detailed illustrations; or maybe colorized old photographs; but they are all of superb qualityIve been to Beijng several times; and even the two visits that boasted breathable air; the views were not a pretty as those in this book. Dont get me wrong; Beijing is a great place to visit; and is picturesque even now; but a resident who remembers it even from the 80s has lamented the loss of trees throughout the city as well as the unnecessary addition of sardine-packed automobiles cramming the streets.If you want to see what the old city looked like - with trees - this is the book for you. Hopefully; Beijing will one day look this nice with trees again.