How do you draw Celtic knotwork? What are the secrets of keys? Are there tricks for drawing Celtic spirals? What do these mysterious patterns actually mean? Who drew them? Where did they come from? In this exquisite pocket book, author and artist Adam Tetlow shows us the practical tricks of the trade and the hidden principles behind the ancient magical science of Celtic artwork. With examples from both early and later periods, illustrations by the author and rare engravings. WOODEN BOOKS US EDITIONS. Small books, BIG ideas.

A visually stunning, intimate photographic tour of Pompeii's spaces, including many that have never been seen by the public.

Pompeii, one of the most astonishing and well-preserved sites of classical antiquity, is also one of the world's most visited architectural locations. Produced in partnership with the Archeological Park of Pompeii, this lavish volume takes readers on a tour of Pompeii through an array of visually compelling and original photographs by Italian artist Luigi Spina.

Pompeii's architecture is a central feature of Spina's pictures, which were shot at all times of day, in all seasons, and in natural light. Lacy peristyles and rows of ruined columns give way to intimate, atmospheric interior spaces. Mosaic floors and beautiful wall paintings are reproduced with stunning fidelity and sensitivity. The volume also includes an essay by Gabriel Zuchtriegel, director of the Archeological Park of Pompeii, and several meditations on the history, architecture, and natural beauty of the city.

Inside Pompeii provides the wondrous experience of wandering through this remarkable site without ever leaving home.

Chang Dai-chien (1899-1983), one of the most celebrated Chinese painters of the twentieth century, is renowned for his stylistic variety and unparalleled productivity. This book explores three key artistic dimensions--Chang's early ink paintings emulating ancient Chinese styles, his lively portrayals of nature made while residing in Brazil and California, and the transcendent splashed-ink art of his later years.

Stunning reproductions of masterworks and insightful texts come together to commemorate the 120th anniversary of Chang's birth and his lasting connection to the Asian Art Museum of San Francisco.

The Art and Archeology of Ancient Greece is an introductory-level textbook for students with little or no background in ancient art. Arranged chronologically in broad swathes of time, from the Bronze and Iron Ages through the Geometric, Archaic, Classical, and Hellenistic periods, and concluding with the Roman conquest of the Greek world, the textbook focuses on Greek art but also incorporates Near Eastern, Etruscan, and Roman objects. Judith M. Barringer examines a variety of media, analyzing marble and bronze sculpture, public architecture, and vase painting, as well as coins, domestic architecture, mosaics, terracotta figurines and reliefs, jewelry, and wall painting. This book adopts an approach that considers objects and monuments within their cultural contexts. * More than 500 illustrations, with over 400 in color and 13 maps, including specially commissioned photographs, maps, plans, and reconstructions * Includes text boxes, chapter summaries and timelines, and detailed glossary * Looks at Greek art from perspectives of both art history and archaeology, giving students an understanding of the historical and everyday context of art objects

Groundbreaking exploration of ancient techniques and cosmologies of color in Mesoamerica

Ancient Mesoamerican artists held a cosmic responsibility. As they used color to adorn buildings, clay vessels, textiles, bark-paper pages, sculptures, textiles, wall murals, mosaics and other items, they quite literally made the world. The power of color emerged from the materiality of its pigments and the communities whose knowledge of the natural world imbued it with meaning. Histories of colonialism and industrialization in the color-averse West have minimized the profound significance of color in the Indigenous Americas. We Live in Painting provides an in-depth exploration of the science and art of color in Mesoamerica. This lavishly illustrated catalog, published as part of the PST ART series, follows two interconnected lines of inquiry--technical and material analyses, and Indigenous conceptions of art and image--to reach the full richness of color at the core of historical and contemporary Mesoamerican worldviews.

Uncovering Norse Mythology

A Beginner's Guide Into The World Of Norse Mythology. Explore the Immortal God's Myths And History, Viking Warriors And Magical Creatures.

Lucas RussoDelve into the fascinating history of Norse mythology with these thrilling tales of battle and magic...

What do you think of when you hear the words Norse mythology?

Chances are, your mind goes straight to Thor or Odin, some of the most well-known Nordic gods.

But their stories barely scratch the surface of the complicated and fascinating myths of ancient Scandinavia.

As Germanic tribes clashed and reconciled, a rich and detailed realm of the gods was created through the melding and exchanging of stories and characters that reflected the complicated historical events around them.

The clash of the Vanir and the Aesir, or the old and new gods, is thought to be indicative of a real conflict between two tribes that later found a way to coexist.

Through developing an understanding of the stories that remain, you will learn about the intricacies of ancient Nordic culture.

Beginning with the historical background of the Viking Age, you will become familiar with the creation myth and discover the complicated family trees that the gods and goddesses of Asgard created.

You'll uncover the most important figures in Nordic culture and find out how their existence continues to be relevant in the modern day.

In Uncovering Norse Mythology, here is just a fraction of what you will discover:

Beautiful edition with a new introduction to the history of the land and the people, highlighting the origins of myth and folklore.

The story of Ancient India, the vast land that stretches from the Himalayas in the North to the Oceans far south, can be traced back to the 8th millennium BCE. Later, in the mid-3000s, the first cities of the great Indus or Harappan Civilization rose around the basin of the Indus river system, a little earlier than the Ancient Egyptians around their Nile, or the Sumerians between the Tigris and the Euphrates. Tales of gods and peoples from this period were written for the first time, from older oral traditions, in the Sanskrit of Vedas in the mid-1500s, when Babylon was at its height, and the culture of Mycenaean Greeks would flower and collapse. In the 1st millennium BCE Indian civilization shifted south to the Ganges, where the great literature of the Mahābhārata and the Rāmāyana recorded the glory and the power of the gods, and the worship of a people whose vibrant culture is a reflection of its lands and the migrations of its ancestors. Presenting classic historical texts complemented by new introductions, this new book gives an insight into the rich diversity of India today.

Flame Tree Collector's Editions present the foundations of speculative fiction: authors, myths, tales and history without which the imaginative literature of the twentieth century would not exist, bringing the best, most influential and most fascinating works into a striking and collectable library. Each book features a new Introduction and a Glossary of Terms or lists of Ancient Leaders.

An arresting illustrated history of twins in mythology, science, and visual culture

Twins have captivated the imagination for centuries, occupying a unique place in our cultural and scientific history. Twinkind looks at twins in myth and legend; anatomy, sociology, and genetics; and as sources of spectacle, entertainment, and community.

Drawing on hundreds of striking and sometimes haunting illustrations, William Viney examines depictions of twins as protagonists in creation stories ranging from Quetzalcoatl and Tezcatlipoca in Aztec mythology to Artemis and Apollo in Greek legend. He describes how twins have featured prominently in scientific research across the centuries, but especially in the work of Francis Galton, whose study of twins on the behavioral question of heredity versus environment gave rise to the pseudoscience of eugenics in the late nineteenth century. Viney explores the representation of twins in art, photography, and film--from the works of Roger Ballen to the cinema of Stanley Kubrick--and delves into the darker meanings ascribed to twins across the millennia.

A visual journey like no other, this book sheds critical light on the competing visions of twins around the world and throughout history, showing how the lived experience of twinkind has elicited profound attraction and respect, but also puzzlement, fear, and fascination.

Buried in the 14th century BC but unearthed by Howard Carter in 1922, the objects entombed with Tutankhamun are an invaluable window into a long-extinct belief system. Seen today, they create an intricate picture of how the ancient Egyptian people viewed the perilous journey to paradise, a utopian Egypt that could only be entered following the final judgment.

When acclaimed photographer Sandro Vannini started his work in Egypt in the late '90s, a technological revolution was about to unfold. Emerging technologies enabled him to document murals, tombs, and artifacts in unprecedented detail. Using the time-consuming and strenuous multi-shot technique, Vannini produced complete photographic reproductions that revealed colors in their original tones with vivid intensity. Through these extraordinary images, we discover the objects' quintessential features alongside the sophisticated and cleverly hidden details.

This comprehensive guide marks the centenary of Carter's first excavations in the Valley of the Kings. These inestimable works endure through Vannini's photographs in their full, timeless splendor. From offerings and rituals to Osiris and eternal life, Vannini's portfolio covers all facets of ancient Egyptian culture--but it is Tutankhamun's unique legacy that dominates these images. With texts by the photographer, captions by specialist Mohamed Megahed, and chapter introductions from scholars in the field, King Tut. The Journey through the Underworld puts much-debated mysteries to rest. The learned yet accessible forewords come from distinguished Egyptologists including Salima Ikram and David P. Silverman. Insightful narratives, resplendent images, and a contemporary standpoint make this title a fitting tribute to the Boy King's odyssey, illuminating an epoch that spanned an unimaginable 4,000 years.

A captivating examination of the profound impact Thracian art and culture had on the Greeks and the entire northern Aegean region.

The Thracians--a collection of tribal peoples who inhabited territories north of ancient Greece, an area that comprises present-day Bulgaria, much of Romania, and parts of Greece and Turkey--were renowned for their skill as warriors and horsemen, as well as for their wealth in precious metals. Thracians left few written records, and knowledge of their history and customs has long been dependent on brief accounts from ancient Greek authors. They appeared in Greek myth as formidable adversaries in the Trojan War, cruel kings, and followers of the ecstatic god Dionysos. Spectacular archaeological discoveries made in Thracian lands during modern times, however, have provided firsthand evidence of this remarkable culture, illuminating Thrace's interactions with Greece, Persia, and Rome.

Ancient Thrace and the Classical World reproduces more than two hundred glorious objects dating from the end of the Bronze Age, around 1200 BC, to the end of the first century AD, when Thrace became part of the Roman Empire. Experts explore topics such as Thracian royal tombs, the Greek colonization of the Black Sea coast, Thracian religion, and more, placing Thracian culture in a broader historical context that highlights its complex relationships with the surrounding region.

This volume is published to accompany an exhibition on view at the J. Paul Getty Museum at the Getty Villa from November 6, 2024, to March 3, 2025.

A stunning look at major Roman marble sculptures in the Torlonia Collection

Myth and Marble: Ancient Roman Sculpture from the Torlonia Collection invites you to explore the storied Torlonia Collection, one of the largest and most important collections of ancient Roman sculptures in the world. It boasts portraits of individuals and the imperial family, sculptures of gods and heroes, and large-scale funerary monuments. This book presents stunning new images of dozens of these sculptures, most of them dating to the height of the Roman Empire, and nearly half of which have not been conserved, photographed, displayed, or published since the nineteenth century. Essays introduce readers to Roman sculpture and visual culture through these works and connect the cosmopolitanism of ancient Romans with our experiences of their art today, to provide an engaging and fresh introduction to the Torlonia Collection.

Distributed for the Art Institute of Chicago

Exhibition Schedule:

The Art Institute of Chicago
(March 15-June 29, 2025)

Kimbell Art Museum, Fort Worth, TX
(September 14, 2025-January 25, 2026)

Montreal Museum of Fine Arts
(March 14-July 19, 2026)

Ancient Mayan Message (Dresden Codex facsimile) This third edition features a full-color reproduction of The Dresden Codex that has been carefully crafted by the author Olga Judith Najarro Ibarra, to re-create the original Mayan manuscript, an archaeological and historical treasure. This facsimile should benefit in the research, study and consultation of this mysterious Mayan hieroglyphic writing. Ms. Judith Najarro has dedicated many years to hand-drawing and coloring the intricate blends of minute details that encompass the complex and fascinating Mayan hieroglyphic writing in order to ensure precision, accuracy of proportions, levels and orientation to her excellent art work that contains 78 plates, except four of them that are completely blurry. This exciting new edition is based on a comparison between several pre-WWII facsimiles of The Dresden Codex, when the codex was in better conditions. The original manuscript is still in fair shape, but several plates have suffered damage from bombings, fires, floods, mildew etc., and now are blurry; also, the plates are no longer connected in quite the same way. Originally, all of the plates were attached to each other forming a single strip of some 3.5 meters long when stretched out from their accordion folds. The original sequence of the plates were: pages 1-24 followed by 46-74, followed by 25-45. According to some historians the original manuscript was found in one of the largest Mayan cities and was supposedly sent to Europe around 1519. In 1744, it was acquired by The Royal Library of Dresden Germany, to which it owes its name. Many researchers agree that The Codex deals with: Astronomy, mathematics, astrological tables of the planets, the moon, conjunctions of solar bodies, cosmogonic theories, religion, agriculture, magic and mythology. The Mayas used tree bark for the preparation of their papyrus on which they drew and painted their colored hieroglyphs and pictures, as the highest expression of their knowledge and pictographic art. The Dresden Codex (Dresdensis Codex) is without a doubt, the most important pre-Hispanic document that has been preserved throughout the centuries. It is the oldest known book written in the Americas; of the hundreds of books that were used in Meso-America before the Spanish conquest, it is one of only 15 that have survived to the present day. This third edition facsimile elaborated by Judith Najarro, is a perfect replica of The Dresden Codex, and should inspire scientists, archaeologists, astronomers, mathematicians, historians, native peoples and the world at-large to explore into the secrets of the past and the universe. Visit: www.mayacodex.wordpress.com

The Etruscans are one of the enigmas of history. A cultured, artistic, socially adept, economically prosperous and pleasure-loving people, they dominated Central Italy for 800 years until, eclipsed by the burgeoning power of Rome in the fourth and third centuries BC, their civilization was absorbed and their identity obliterated. But gradually during the last four hundred years their art has come to be appreciated and enjoyed, with the emergence of richly frescoed tombs, exquisite jewelry and sculpture, metalwork and painted vases at sites such as Cerveteri, Tarquinia and Vulci. Nigel Spivey's incisive book is the first critical survey of this elusive people for more than twenty years, bringing the Etruscan world to life in the light of the most recent discoveries and the latest scholarship. 223 black and white illus..

In Lectures on Ancient Philosophy, Manly P. Hall expands on the philosophical, metaphysical, and cosmological themes introduced in his classic work, The Secret Teachings of All Ages. Hall wrote this volume as a reader's companion to his earlier work, intending it for those wishing to delve more deeply into the esoteric philosophies and ideas that undergird the Secret Teachings. Particular attention is paid to Neoplatonism, ancient Christianity, Rosicrucian and Freemasonic traditions, ancient mysteries, pagan rites and symbols, and Pythagorean mathematics.

A fascinating study of Persia's interactions and exchanges of influence with ancient Greece and the Roman Empire.

The founding of the first Persian Empire by the Achaemenid king Cyrus the Great in the sixth century BCE established one of the greatest world powers of antiquity. Extending from the borders of Greece to northern India, Persia was seen by the Greeks as a vastly wealthy and powerful rival and often as an existential threat. When the Macedonian king Alexander the Great finally conquered the Achaemenid Empire in 330 BCE, Greek culture spread throughout the Near East, but local dynasties--first the Parthian (247 BCE-224 CE) and then the Sasanian (224-651 CE)--reestablished themselves. The rise of the Roman Empire as a world power quickly brought it, too, into conflict with Persia, despite the common trade that flowed through their territories.

Persia addresses the political, intellectual, religious, and artistic relations between Persia, Greece, and Rome from the seventh century BCE to the Arab conquest of 651 CE. Essays by international scholars trace interactions and exchanges of influence. With more than three hundred images, this richly illustrated volume features sculpture, jewelry, silver luxury vessels, coins, gems, and inscriptions that reflect the Persian ideology of empire and its impact throughout Persia's own diverse lands and the Greek and Roman spheres.

Biblical Foundations of Prophetic Art - Finding Keys in Scripture

Is prophetic art just an emerging idea? Surprisingly, this is not the case. In fact, Scripture bursts with examples of writers, singers, composers, dancers, sculptors, designers and workers in fabric who soundly demonstrate ancient and powerful examples of creativity and art.

In this book, J rn Lange provides us with biblical keys and unpacks the prophetic dynamics of artistic expression as creatives align with the heart of God. Why do prophetic artists do what they do? In this rare exposition of this subject, there is insight that will propel many into their callings and destinies. This is solid ground that makes sense of the timeless and precious creative gifts that God continues to release today.

The ancient continent of Lemuria holds many keys to our present and future stages of evolution. Through an understanding of its deeper aspects, we can unlock its mysteries, and indeed some of the mysteries of world evolutionary processes (from the foreword)

Basing her work on the research of Rudolf Steiner and occult writers such as William Scott-Elliot and Helena Blavatsky, Angela Lord conjures up powerful images of the lost landmass of Lemuria, interspersing her text with color paintings, maps, and drawings. She demonstrates how, by delving into our distant primeval past, we can discover events that brought about remarkable changes in the course of world evolution and human consciousness.

Beginning with a survey of Earth evolution and its early geological phases, she relates Lemuria to the mystery of the Fall from Paradise, the loss of clairvoyance and the advent of human reproduction.

With the descent of the spirit self, earthly desire and egotistic love entered humanity, and in the figure of Adam we recognize humanity of the Lemurian epoch in its progress toward human existence in earthly corporeality.

Lord describes how, through the help and influence of diverse spiritual entities, the human being became balanced and upright and was able to develop physical senses. She discusses the origins of religion, the question of time, and the relevance of the legend of Isis and Osiris in this striking overview. The book also contains diagrammatic evolutionary charts by John Waterman and W. Scott-Elliot.

When one looks at the same things from many diverse aspects, the impressions one receives gradually complement each other to form an ever more animated picture. Only such pictures--not dry schematic concepts--can help the person who wants to penetrate into the higher worlds. The more animated and colorful the pictures, the more one can hope to approach the higher reality. -- Rudolf Steiner (Cosmic Memory)

There is nothing simple about the idea of civilisation. It is a concept with multiple and contested meanings. Prefix it with the word 'western' and you have a whole new set of problems. Equally thorny is the belief, once commonplace, that civilisation was a singular project, a phenomenon that spread across parts of the world from a single source. The view that multiple civilisations emerged independently at various times and in various places across the world was not an idea many Victorian thinkers had much time for. Indeed, in the age of European Empires, nations justified their domination of other peoples by claiming they were engaged in a great 'civilising mission'. Perhaps all that is certain about the concept of civilisation is that its opposite, barbarism, is toxic. In Civilisations, David Olusoga travels the world to piece together the shared histories that link nations. In Part One, First Contact, we discover what happened to art in the great Age of Discovery, when civilisations encountered each other for the first time? Although undoubtedly a period of conquest and destruction it was also one of mutual curiosity, global trade and the exchange of ideas In Part Two, The Cult of Progress we see how the Industrial Revolution transformed the world, impacting every corner, and every civilisation, from the cotton mills of the Midlands, through Napoleon's conquest of Egypt, to the demise of both Native American and Maori populations and the advent of photography in Paris in 1839. Incredible art - both looted and created - relay the key events and their outcomes throughout the world.

How much do we really know about Ancient Egypt? The pharaohs and pyramids are familiar history fodder, but what about the farmers, the soldiers, the laborers, and the families that made up the vast majority of this much mythologized civilization?

With a thrilling spread of visual references, this TASCHEN adventure attempts to set the record straight by offering a distinctive everyday take on Ancient Egypt. Like a piece of published excavation, the book explores the many layers of this ancient society, digging down from the sacred or grandiose to the daily experiences and ordinary individuals.

The democratic approach bestows this distant era with exciting vitality and relevance for all the family. As we explore everything from family arrangements to leisure activities to labor movements, we not only uncover the different experiences of this ancient land but also parallels and precedents to our own societies. The result is a particularly vivid encounter with an ancient age and with some of our most ingenious and influential forebears.

This volume explores the power of matter and materials in the Eastern Roman Empire, also known as Byzantium. Recent attention to matter as dynamic and meaningful constitutes an emerging, interdisciplinary field of inquiry known as materiality, new materialism, or the material turn. Materials can be symbolic, but matter can also act on human subjects. This volume builds on these insights to consider the role of matter, materials, form, and embodied experiences in Byzantium. In many respects, Byzantine materiality represents a continuation of its Greco-Roman inheritance, which was also shared by neighboring peoples such as the Umayyads and Abbasids. But the Byzantines also developed their own, unique perspectives on matter and form, as with their parsing of the sacred materialities of icons, the Eucharist, and relics. Chapters in this volume consider the cultural meanings and functions of materials such as gold and ivory, the materiality of icons and relics, experiences of objects, as well as Byzantine philosophies of matter and form. Materiality takes center stage in Byzantine constructions of power, luxury, belief, and identity, which will be of interest to scholars and students of Byzantium and the wider medieval world.