Books in Brief

Art of the Ancient Near East

Pierre Amiet (Harry N. Abrams: New York, 1980), 604 pp., 1,076 illustrations, 158 in full color, $125

Every once in a while a book is published which looks as though someone gave a blank check to the publisher to buy the absolute best in printing, paper, design and photographs. Art of the Ancient Near East is such a feast. Weighing four pounds, 10 × 12½ inches in size, and two inches thick, containing 158 full-color photographs reproduced on heavy glossy stock—this book is the epitome of the “coffee-table” genre. However, Art of the Ancient Near East is far more than a coffee-table book. It will be an indispensable reference work for anyone wishing to survey the history or subject matter of ancient Near Eastern art, especially in Mesopotamia and Anatolia. In addition to its superb color photographs, the book contains hundreds of black and white photographs of art objects.