Egypt, the most ancient of the Mediterranean civilizations, inspired neighboring cultures with its art, religion, and learning. Already by around 3000 BC, cultural and artistic exchanges between Egypt and Crete were taking place, and contacts expanded greatly over the centuries with the arrival of Greek merchants, artists, and soldiers in Egypt. The complex interconnections between Egypt and the Classical World over the course of nearly 2,500 years-from...

"Here, ten world-renowned curators from the Victoria and Albert Museum in London tell the story of ten of the most famous and curious objects acquired by the museum over its history. Among these are "Tipu's Tiger," an almost life-size wooden mechanical toy of a tiger mauling a European soldier; the "Great Bed of Ware," a 10 1/2-foot-wide Elizabethan bed; and a "Shakespeare First Folio," one of the few survivors of an estimated 750 that were originally...

Spirited Aimée Leduc, a private investigator based in Paris, has been introduced to the Cao Dai temple by her partner, René, who urges her to learn to meditate as a counterbalance to her frenetic lifestyle. A Vietnamese nun asks her for a favor--to hand over a check and bring a package back to the temple. But this act of kindness ends in a stranger's death and leaves her with a bullet wound in the arm, a check for 50,000 francs and a trove of ancient...

Delves into the world of people who passionately love and collect the paintings of Rembrandt.

As Hitler's forces smash into Soviet territory, annihilating the Red Army divisions in its path, a lone German scout plane is forced down. Contained within the briefcase of its passenger is the seemingly inconsequential painting of a hyalophoria cecropia, otherwise known as a red moth.

Eighteen half-hour tours of the Hermitage Museum collections, highlighting works from ancient China and Egypt and European art from Greece and Rome through the Middle Ages and the Renaissance to the 20th century. Some material on St. Petersburg, Peter the Great, and the architecture of the museum building. Each tour is devoted to a place or period and examines two or three dozen works, with commentary. Guide includes index by artist. Still-frame viewing...

This book gives a fascinating overview of Russian decorative art, revealing a highly accomplished crafts tradition that persisted over nine centuries. It includes works by Peter Carl Faberge and his workshop, jeweled Byzantine icons, silver drinking vessels, and intricate enamels. Featured are two extraordinary Faberge eggs that were once in the Russian Imperial collection, including one that opens up to reveal a miniature gold replica of the Gatchina...