Sekhmet and Bastet are well-known and popular Goddesses today, and much of their appeal lies in their feline iconography and characters. They, and the other less well known Feline Goddesses, are inseparable from the concept of the Solar Eye Goddess who is the visible solar disc and the Daughter of the Sun God. This fuels both their character and their strong duality. But there are other major Goddesses, Hathor and Mut, who are Solar Eye Goddesses without feline characteristics despite having one of the Feline Goddesses as an alter ego. - Lesley Jackson

Sekhmet and Bastet: The Feline Powers of Egypt is a detailed study of the history, mythology, symbolism and worship of the lion and cat goddesses of Ancient Egypt. Author Lesley Jackson traces the evolution of Sekhmet and Bastet within the context of ancient Egyptian religious rituals, beliefs and practices Other feline deities, such as the goddesses Mehit, Menhyt, Mestjet. Pakhet (Pasht), Seret, Shesmetet and Tefnut, and gods such as Mahes, Ruty and Amun are also included in this work, providing additional insights into the importance of feline divinities in Ancient Egyptian religious life.

Sekhmet is the Lady of Heaven, Mistress of the Two Lands, Mistress of the Gods and the Great One, as well as being the Eye of Ra and the beloved of Ptah. In the famous story of the Destruction of Mankind, Sekhmet is tricked into drinking a vast quantity of beer to distract her from killing all humanity, which she was doing to avenge the Sun God Ra.

Bastet was also initially a Lion Goddess who over time evolved into a Cat Goddess associated with the smaller, more docile, domestic cat. Her name translates as She of the Ointment Jar, represented with a hieroglyph of a sealed perfume jar. These goddesses were invoked in numerous aspects of ancient life, including for their fiercely protective and healing abilities, and their aid in divination, oracles, malicious magic and love spells.

In this thorough study, the author illustrates how feline symbolism and power permeated Ancient Egyptian life. Evidence demonstrating their importance is brought together from an extensive range of sources, including artefacts, tomb scenes, statues, funerary texts and amulets employed in guarding the body and tomb of the deceased. The names, epithets, iconography, characteristics, festivals and temples of Sekhmet and Bastet provide further insights, alongside information on the cultural, historical and symbolic worlds within which these powerful deities were worshipped.

Other books by Lesley Jackson include Hathor: A Reintroduction to an Ancient Egyptian Goddess, Isis: The Eternal Goddess of Egypt and Rome, Thoth: The History of the Ancient Egyptian God of Wisdom, and The Cobra Goddess & The Chaos Serpent.

In Thoth: The History of the Ancient Egyptian God of Wisdom, author and researcher Lesley Jackson presents a comprehensive and wide-ranging study of this unique god spanning six millennia. Drawing on the latest archaeological and textual research, from magical papyri and stelae to statues and wall carvings, the author investigates Thoth's diverse functions. These include Thoth's well-known roles as a god of writing, magic and wisdom, as well as his status as a creator god, judge, healer, psychopomp, reckoner of time and lunar god.

Developing from pre-dynastic origins, the worship of Thoth is explored through the different Egyptian social classes from peasant to Pharaoh, and placed in the context of ancient Egyptian rituals and festivals; as is the later syncretisation of Thoth with the Greco-Egyptian figure of Hermes Trismegistus. In so doing the author demonstrates the pivotal role that the ibis-headed god fulfilled in many of the Egyptian myths and his functions within the three main Egyptian theologies - i.e. Heliopolitan, Hermopolitan and Memphite.

The names, animals and symbols of Thoth, lord of ritual and of words, are all considered, and further reveal his complex nature, which is also viewed through the web of connections between Thoth and the numerous other Egyptian gods. Particular attention is given to his consorts, the goddesses Maat, Seshat and Nehmataway, and the implications of their relationships.

This extensive and detailed work is supplemented with ancient hymns to Thoth and a survey of temples associated with him. Long overdue, Thoth: The History of the Ancient Egyptian God of Wisdom is an unmissable work on this most enduring of gods.

Nut is the all-encompassing Great Mother but a very different one to those of most other cultures. Normally the Great Mother is seen as the natural regenerative force of the individual womb and the womb of earth. Nut however is the Great Round who encloses the universe. Hers is the womb of the generative nun. She is a creative space in which life is constantly regenerated. By providing the attributes of contained space and water Nut can be viewed as life itself. Nut is the source of everything. The cosmos is her body and she births and nourishes all living things taking them back into her body at death. Unlike virtually all the other Mother Goddesses Nut isn't remotely chthonic, despite being associated with the tomb and coffin. - Lesley Jackson

The Goddess Nut and the Wisdom of the Sky is a fascinating scholarly study of the Ancient Egyptian goddess Nut, in her aspects as both Sky and Tree Goddess, and all that she encompasses. Through scrupulous research, including the latest theories and information from top Egyptologists, we learn not only of the celestial goddess herself but also everything that is currently known about how the Ancient Egyptians related to the visible cosmos and how it informed their belief in the unseen realm and the afterlife.

In incredible detail, learn how time was marked by the movement of the stars, the significance of stellar alignment and the decan stars in dividing the year, the importance of the Lunar cycles, and all the associated gods and goddesses. The fluid inter-relationship of the Egyptian deities and their symbolism is investigated, and where there are no clear answers, thought-provoking questions are asked. Lesley Jackson also shares her extensive knowledge of archaeology in an in-depth study of the representation of the constellations and deities on ceilings and lids of sarcophagi. Nut's depictions, epithets, sacred animals, family connections, and the essential role she has in the creation story of the cosmos are also explored.

If you have a love of myth, of the rich magic of Ancient Egypt, or if you have ever looked into the divine eyes of heaven and wondered... you will find the answers and wisdom you seek within these pages.

Hathor was once the most loved and pre-eminent goddess of Egypt. An ancient goddess, 'Hathor... who descends from the primeval age' soon held all Egyptians in her loving embrace. She was one of the most accessible of the deities so it was unsurprising that she was a favourite, Her cult, and encounters with her, were full of music, love and laughter. No stern, demanding deity, she rejoiced in her followers' happiness and many could say 'she placed joy in my heart'... - author Lesley Jackson

Hathor: A Reintroduction to an Ancient Egyptian Goddess is a comprehensive and thought-provoking study of one of the most important Ancient Egyptian deities. Primarily a Cow Goddess. Hathor was multifaceted, and her importance was emphasised through the many titles and roles she held. She was the goddess of the sky, sun, love, sex, dance, music, fertility, precious metals and gemstones, as well as being Protectress of Foreign Lands, Eye Goddess, Goddess of Desire, Lady of Drunkenness, and Lady of Fragrance. Present in all aspects of life, Hathor was a goddess of childbirth, who protected her worshippers during life and offered protection on the journey into the afterlife.

Daughter of the Sun God Ra, she was linked to other cow goddesses, as well as other major deities such as Isis, Bastet and Horus. She was intimately associated with the lioness goddess Sekhmet, who was both an aspect of Hathor and a significant and powerful goddess in her own right.

The Seven Hathors, a seven-fold manifestation of Hathor, predicted the destiny of newborn children and the time and manner of a person's death and were invoked in love spells and protection charms.

This extensive work provides a welcome and much-needed exploration of one of the most influential goddesses of the ancient world. It explores Hathor's different roles and titles, her associations with other deities, alter-egos and assimilations, her temples, worship, festivals and her subsequent decline in popularity towards the end of the Greco-Roman period.

Author Lesley Jackson draws on a wide range of historical sources, including magical papyri, stelae, statues, jewellery, ritual objects and archaeological evidence, employing these to reveal the captivating history and numerous functions of this mesmerizing goddess. In doing so, she succeeds in reintroducing Hathor to us as a sovereign, powerful, beautiful and lovely goddess, she 'whose ba is powerful'.

Other books by Lesley Jackson include Isis: The Eternal Goddess of Egypt and Rome, Sekhmet and Bastet: The Feline Powers of Egypt, Thoth: The History of the Ancient Egyptian God of Wisdom, and The Cobra Goddess & The Chaos Serpent.

The Serpent encircles all that is. Present before the beginning, serpents will outlast the end. Serpents are always present on our journey should we choose to see them. Watch over the Soul Be helpful, O Fiery One. - Lesley Jackson

The Cobra Goddess and the Chaos Serpent is a meticulous study of the history, mythology, symbolism and importance of snake and serpent deities in Ancient Egypt. Lesley Jackson draws on extensive research from a wide variety of sources, including the latest reports and studies of Egyptologists, taking readers on an adventurous discovery of the serpentine powers and mysteries in all aspects of Egyptian religion - including the divine, earthly and afterlife. Serpents are part of the eternal cycle of existence and the perfect symbols for the Egyptian concepts of both linear and circular time, Djet and Neheh.

The Uraeus is a depiction of an Egyptian Cobra rearing forward in a warning pose showing that it perceives a threat. The Uraeus Goddess was the ultimate protector of Egyptian deities and royals, and depicted on their crowns as well as on the solar disc. The Uraeus, like the sun and the snake, was life-giving and life-taking, but regardless of her dangerous powers and fiery nature, she was never demonised. The association of goddesses such as Hathor, Isis, Sekhmet and Mut, and other Cobra Goddesses such as Wadjet and Renenutet with serpents are all explored.

In the Khonsu Cosmogony, the original Creator God is the serpent Kematef who emerges spontaneously from the nun, the primordial ocean of undifferentiated potential and chaos. From Kematef comes Ptah, the Creator God; Khepri, the Sun God in his dawn aspect; and the Ogdoad, the eight primitive deities who continue the work of creation. The arch-fiend and sun-stealing Chaos Serpent Apophis (Apep) also emerged from the nun as the ultimate destructive force in the universe. Apophis represents total disorder in the perpetual battle of good against evil. Every night Apophis attacks the Sun God Ra in an attempt to destroy the sun and obliterate the Solar Barque - and with it time and space.

For anyone who wants to explore the Cobra Goddess, the Chaos Serpent or the role of snakes in Ancient Egyptian magic, healing and the afterlife, this book is essential reading.

'The beginning is light, the end is Unified Darkness.' As well as being a symbol of time the snake can also be associated with the cosmic collapse of the universe which will bring about the end or suspension of time. One suggestion is that the imagery came from the way the snake periodically sheds its skin. Nothing created will survive forever but the creative principle can endure - author Lesley Jackson

Isis has the gift of universality. She is neither confined nor contained. Isis can respond to the various demands and expectations of each time and locality and can constantly be reinterpreted whilst retaining her important Egyptian soul and origins. Isis is infinitely adaptable; like a web of energy connecting many nodes she can embrace and encompass all, and each new addition strengthens and expands her web. - Lesley Jackson

Isis: The Eternal Goddess of Egypt and Rome is a thought-provoking study of one of the most enduring and enigmatic ancient goddesses. The Egyptians knew her as Aset and wrote her name with the hieroglyph of a stylised throne, emphasising her association with royalty and kingship. Isis was the wife and sister of Osiris: mother of Horus and sister of the mysterious goddess Nephthys; she was also known as a great magician, healer and associated with events of cosmic significance.

Throughout the millennia of her worship she held many roles, evidenced by the many temples, symbols and writings left behind by her devotees. Her worship spread beyond Egypt before the Greek conquest, as diplomats, merchants and other travellers who spent time in Egypt spread her cult overseas. From the Isis of the Old Kingdom of Egypt through to the All-Goddess of the Greco-Roman period and beyond, the worship of Isis grew in importance and diversified. She gained powers from the strong Greek influence in Egypt but also kept all those she already had. becoming a beneficial Goddess of nature, a Saviour and, to many, the sole Goddess.

In this extensive work author Lesley Jackson draws on the primary written sources of information on Isis, being the texts of the Ancient Egyptians and those of the Classical writers, to present the most comprehensive presentation of her worship to date. Her beginnings, her birth, her place of origin, her names, her attributes, her iconography, her relationships, her symbols (including the ankh, tyet, sistrum and situla) and the development of her cult are all carefully considered.

Other books by Lesley Jackson include Hathor: A Reintroduction to an Ancient Egyptian Goddess, Sekhmet and Bastet: The Feline Powers of Egypt, Thoth: The History of the Ancient Egyptian God of Wisdom, and The Cobra Goddess & The Chaos Serpent.

Ercol was founded in 1920 at High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire by Italian-born Lucian Ercolani (1888-1976), who came to Britain at the age of 10. Ercol is still going strong todand and the company is still family-owned and run. A gifted designer and an impassioned entrepreneur, Lucian Ercolani was the creative driving force behind Ercol for more than 50 years. The book focuses on the Windsor Range, his supreme creation, a coordinated collection of domestic furniture inspired by the traditional English Windsor Chair. Initally developed towards the end of the Second World War as part of the government's Utility Scheme, Ercol's Windsor Contemporary Furniture Family was launced at the Festival of Britain in 1951. A run-away success, it was expanded throughout the 1950s and 60s, encompassing a diverse array of kithcen, dining, living room and bedroom furniture in an appealing and harmonious style. Made from solid wood using a distinctive combination of beech and elm, the Windsor Range married the modern with the vernacular, combining advanced technology with superb craftsmanship. Appealing to a wide audience, including post-war design buffs, collectors, students and anyone interested in interiors, it is lavishly illustrated and attractively designed.

A study of one of the most creative glass factories Britain has ever produced.

Edinburgh Weavers, in business from 1931 to 1963, was one of the most important textile companies of the 20th century. Alastair Morton, the visionary art director of the company, commissioned a remarkable series of textiles from leading British artists, including Ben Nicholson, Barbara Hepworth, and Elisabeth Frink, as well as artist-designers, such as Marion Dorn, Ashley Havinden, and Lucienne Day. Morton was also a gifted artist, textile designer, and weaver in his own right. This major work traces his wide-ranging career and records the history of Edinburgh Weavers and the glorious textiles it produced. Drawing on the V&A's extensive archive, this impressive book features more than 500 images of artists' textiles, unparalleled in quality and scope.

British furniture designers have made a unique contribution to modern design. This book pinpoints the most inventive designers and companies from 1945 to the present--from postwar pioneers such as Ernest Race, Robin Day, and Robert Heritage, to iconoclastic figures such as Peter Murdoch, William Plunkett, and Max Clendinning, to today's global superstars led by Tom Dixon, Ron Arad, and Jasper Morrison. This is a story of entrepreneurs--Lucian Ercolani at Ercol, Terence Conran at Habitat, and Rodney Kinsman at OMK, among others--and creative alliances, such as Frank Guille at Kandya.
Today, top British designers collaborate with international companies and foreign-born designers, such as El Ultimo Grito, to inject further variety into British furniture design.

Records the extraordinary screen-printed textiles of leading British 1960s designer Shirley Craven and her unique creative partnership with Hull Traders

'From Atoms to Patterns' tells the intriguing story of the Festival Pattern Group - a unique collaboration between scientists and designers at the Festival of Britain.