Review by Choice Review
More than just a catalog of the extensive collection of Western ivories in the Walters Art Gallery, this luxurious book offers a general history of ivories from prehistoric times to the late 19th century through 11 essays written mainly by Randall, curator of medieval art and author of Medieval Ivories in the Walters Art Gallery (1969). Laid out like a series of independent catalogs, each surveying a chronological period, the book is easy to use. For completeness and continuity, ivories from other collections are discussed, and some periods are included even when the Walters collection has few or no ivories to represent it. Every object is pictured in black and white opposite its catalog description, the finer pieces reappearing among the 100 excellent color plates. A concordance with the Walters accession numbers, detailed bibliographies, and index add to the worth of the volume for scholars and graduate students. Recommended for college libraries, as no modern scholarly history of ivories in English exists.-M. Morehart, University of British Columbia
Copyright American Library Association, used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
One Egyptian ivory figurine of a hippopotamus, though less than two inches long, manages to convey the heaviness and power of the animal. Ivory is a supple medium, and each age has shaped it according to its concepts of refinement, pomp, utility and beauty. The Greeks built ivory couches as a symbol of luxury. Roman general Lucius Scipio and his men carried 1231 ivory tusks in a triumphal procession. Byzantine artisans carved lifelike ivory saints and angels on miniature altar panels. Muslim craftsmen fashioned intricate inscriptions on oliphants or hunting horns made from tusks. Among the unusual or outstanding objects reproduced in this catalouge of the Walters collection in Baltimore are a Cretan snake goddess, a Coptic statuette of the Virgin of Tenderness (the earliest known example of this image), a German Baroque statue of Cleopatra being bitten by a serpent, and an Art Nouveau orchid comb by Rene Lalique. More than 700 plates (100 in color) are accompanied by essays contriubted by various scholars who trace this highly developed art through the centuries. (April) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by Library Journal Review
The collection of ivories in the Walters Art Gallery is one of the finest and most comprehensive in the world, some 500 objects covering over ten millennia, from the earliest use of ivory to the 20th century. This scholarly, elegant volume is more than equal to the task of recording, describing, and illustrating the collection. It is a classic history of this rare and wonderful substance in its myriad forms. Written by experts, it provides a wealth of detail; every object is included in both text and illustration along with additional comparative or related items in other media and collections. The erudition of the contributors and the splendor of the color illustrations make this catalog of a singular collection a major contribution to the literature. Highly recommended. Paula Frosch, Metropolitan Museum of Art Lib., New York (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Choice Review
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Review by Library Journal Review
