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Details
| Document Type: | Book |
|---|---|
| All Authors / Contributors: |
Brian A (Brian Anthony) 1953- Curran |
| ISBN: | 9780262512701 026251270X |
| OCLC Number: | 639966619 |
Reviews
Publisher Synopsis
"A fascinating account of the way a bizarre Egyptian luxury object became an essential symbol (of many and shifting meanings) for a bewildering variety of places, religions, cultures, and governmental systems, from the Rome of the Caesars to the National Mall in Washington. An erudite and witty tour by four expert guides, with illustrations as delightful as the story they have to tell, a story that leaves obelisks, like all great enigmas, with their aura of mystery intact." --Ingrid D. Rowland, University of Notre Dame and author of Giordano Bruno: Philosopher/Heretic "This long awaited, stunningly illustrated book offers a new vision for obelisk studies, demonstrating how the reception and impact of these monuments on Western cultural memory is just as fascinating as the stories of how these great stones were made, found, and then transported from their original homeland. Building on the unrivaled work of Iversen, the authors focus on the 'lives' of obelisks in modern European history. The result of a truly collaborative writing effort, the book brings obelisk studies firmly into the realm of contemporary scholarship in the humanities." --Stephanie Moser, Professor of Archaeology, University of Southampton "Obelisks have managed to retain their relevance over more than four millennia. Originally created as ancient Egyptian shafts of 'frozen' sunlight, they morphed into symbols of status and power, piety and paganism, as they journeyed to faraway lands. Their story, so ably recounted in this book, mirrors the evolution of human cultures and ideologies from antiquity to the present day." --Peter Der Manuelian, Giza Archives Project Director, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston Read more...
