Perfumes And Cosmetics In The Ancient World
Condition: SECONDHAND
This is a secondhand book. The jacket image is a photograph of the exact copy we have in stock. This image shows the condition of this book. Further condition remarks are below.
Condition remarks:
Book: Good
Jacket: Worn/faded, no tears
Pages: Good
Long before the modern beauty industry claimed its place in everyday life, the ancient world was already saturated with the art and ritual of scent — and Perfumes and Cosmetics in the Ancient World uncovers this richly fragrant history with scholarly precision and cultural depth. Published to accompany a major exhibition at The Israel Museum, Jerusalem, this catalogue chronicles the widespread use of perfumes, cosmetics, and their elaborate vessels across ancient civilisations of the Near East and Mediterranean, illuminating the central role these substances played in religion, medicine, trade, and personal adornment. Michal Dayagi-Mendels presents a meticulous study grounded in archaeological evidence, drawing on artefacts from museum collections worldwide to reconstruct the daily lives and ritual practices of ancient peoples. The work argues that beauty and scent were never trivial concerns — they were integral to social identity, sacred ceremony, and economic exchange across millennia. Rich with illustrations and supported by rigorous scholarship, this volume stands as an essential reference for anyone captivated by the intersection of material culture and the ancient world, leaving one to wonder just how much of our modern relationship with beauty was already perfected thousands of years ago.
Author: Michal Dayagi-Mendels
Format: Hardback
Published: 1989, The Israel Museum, Jerusalem
Genre: History of arts
Condition remarks:
Book: Good
Jacket: Worn/faded, no tears
Pages: Good
Long before the modern beauty industry claimed its place in everyday life, the ancient world was already saturated with the art and ritual of scent — and Perfumes and Cosmetics in the Ancient World uncovers this richly fragrant history with scholarly precision and cultural depth. Published to accompany a major exhibition at The Israel Museum, Jerusalem, this catalogue chronicles the widespread use of perfumes, cosmetics, and their elaborate vessels across ancient civilisations of the Near East and Mediterranean, illuminating the central role these substances played in religion, medicine, trade, and personal adornment. Michal Dayagi-Mendels presents a meticulous study grounded in archaeological evidence, drawing on artefacts from museum collections worldwide to reconstruct the daily lives and ritual practices of ancient peoples. The work argues that beauty and scent were never trivial concerns — they were integral to social identity, sacred ceremony, and economic exchange across millennia. Rich with illustrations and supported by rigorous scholarship, this volume stands as an essential reference for anyone captivated by the intersection of material culture and the ancient world, leaving one to wonder just how much of our modern relationship with beauty was already perfected thousands of years ago.