Art and Empire : Treasures from Assyria in the British Museum

New York / New York: Metropolitan Museum of Art / Harry N. Abrams, 1995. Fine condition. A bright, shiny, clean, square, tight copy. The spine is square and flat. No creases. No owner's name or bookplate. No remainder mark. Pages are fresh and crisp. No underlining. No highlighting. No margin notes. Oversize Softcover. 8.5" wide by 11" tall. With 248 illustrations, including 215 in beautiful full-color. Map. Foreword by R. G. W. Anderson. Contributions by D. Collon, I. L. Finkel, A. R. Green, H. MacDonald, C. B. F. Walker. Published in conjunction with an exhibition held at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, from May 2 through August 13, 1995, and at the Kimbell Art Museum, Fort Worth, Texas, from October 1995 through February 1996. Includes chapters on the discovery and history of Assyria; Reliefs and sculptures; Palaces and temples; Magic and religion; Furniture and fittings; Vases and vessels; Horse trappings and harnesses; Dress and equipment; Seals and sealings; Administration and society; Literature and science; etc. Bibliography. From Mary Morgan Smith's review in LIBRARY JOURNAL: "What do you get when you combine the efforts of the British Museum, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Abrams publishers, and the Assyrian Empire? An answer can be found in this wonderful new exhibit catalog filled with excellent color reproductions and a text that is both scholarly and readable. A chronology and list of kings help to keep track of people and events. Three chapters set up the history, civilization , and exploration of the Assyrian Empire; following chapters discuss and illustrate the art, dress, literature, government, religion, and war of that great civilization. Excellent photographs reproduce alabaster reliefs, ivory plaques, cylinder seals, and furniture with remarkable clarity. But this is more than a catalog of an art exhibit; it distills the Assyrian way of life for easy consumption. If you cannot get to New York, Ft. Worth, or London to see the traveling show, take a long look at this book; highly recommended." . First Edition. Oversize Softcover. Fine condition. 224pp.