Ancient Thrace Gold Treasure Jewelry Hellenic Trojan War Greek Roman Phoenician

Description: “Ancient Gold: The Wealth of the Thracians” by Ivan Marazov. NOTE: We have 75,000 books in our library, almost 10,000 different titles. Odds are we have other copies of this same title in varying conditions, some less expensive, some better condition. We might also have different editions as well (some paperback, some hardcover, oftentimes international editions). If you don’t see what you want, please contact us and ask. We’re happy to send you a summary of the differing conditions and prices we may have for the same title. DESCRIPTION: Hardcover with dustjacket. Publisher: Harry N. Abrams (1998). Pages: 256. Size: 11¼ x 9¾ x 1 inch; 3¾ pounds. Summary: Published to accompany an exhibition at six US museums, starting at the Saint Louis Museum in February 1998, this is a study of the remarkable artistic accomplishments of the Thracians, a people who lived to the north of Greece in ancient times. In the "Iliad", Homer described the Thracians as formidable enemies of the Greeks in the Trojan War, and their mountainous country gave birth to legendary poets such as Orpheus. But the Thracians had no written language, and until recently little was known about this enigmatic people. During the last three decades, however, newly discovered archaeological sites have been excavated and studied to reveal the Thracians as a people of extraordinary sophistication. Their metalwork, in particular, which included gold and silver jewelry, bridle ornaments, vases and vessels, was of great beauty and of the highest quality. The book's authors, all specialists in various aspects of Thracian studies, provide commentaries on the objects illustrated. Using a wealth of evidence from ancient Greek and Roman accounts, as well as linguistic, archaeological and ethnographic sources, they present a picture of life in ancient Thrace. CONDITION: NEW. HUGE new hardcover w/dustjacket. Harry N. Abrams (1998) 256 pages. Unblemished in every respect except that dustjacket evidences faint shelfwear. Inside the book is pristine, the pages are clean, crisp, unmarked, unmutilated, tightly bound, unread, though of course it is likely that the book was leafed through a few times while in the bookstore. One can observe by carefully scrutinizing the binding of the book that it seems as though the first 10 or 15 pages of the book were probably flipped through a few times while on display in a book store. The shelfwear to the dustjacket is principally in the form of very faint rubbing/scuffing. The covers are printed on high-gloss, photo-finish paper, and so shows rub marks very easily, even merely from being shelved between other books. Notwithstanding the probability that a few bookstore "lookie-loo's" may have flipped through the first dozen pages of the book, the condition of the book is entirely consistent with a new book from an open-shelf bookstore environment such as Barnes & Noble or B. Dalton, wherein patrons are permitted to browse open stock. Satisfaction unconditionally guaranteed. In stock, ready to ship. No disappointments, no excuses. PROMPT SHIPPING! HEAVILY PADDED, DAMAGE-FREE PACKAGING! #8978d.. PLEASE SEE DESCRIPTIONS AND IMAGES BELOW FOR DETAILED REVIEWS AND FOR PAGES OF PICTURES FROM INSIDE OF BOOK. PLEASE SEE PUBLISHER, PROFESSIONAL, AND READER REVIEWS BELOW. PUBLISHER REVIEWS: REVIEW: This lavishly illustrated book is the first comprehensive treatment of the remarkable artistic accomplishments of the Thracians, a people who lived to the north of Greece in ancient times. Homer described the Thracians in the Iliad as formidable enemies of the Greeks in the Trojan War, and their mountainous country gave birth to such legendary poets as Orpheus. But the Thracians had no written language, and until recently little was known about this enigmatic people. During the past 30 years, however, newly discovered archaeological sites have been excavated and studied, revealing the Thracians to be a people of extraordinary sophistication. Their metalwork, in particular, which included gold and silver jewelry, bridle ornaments, vases, and vessels, was breathtakingly beautiful and of the highest quality. REVIEW: The Thracians, a people living to the north of Greece in ancient times, were known as both warriors and poets. Until recently, little was known about this enigmatic people. Since the Thracians had no written language of their own, historians had to rely on accounts of their life and culture left by Greek and Roman authors. During the past thirty years, however, a number of Thracian archaeological sites have been excavated and studied, and these have revealed a people of extraordinary sophistication. We now know that the Thracians traded with every civilization in the eastern Mediterranean, and that their splendid metalwork, including bridle ornaments, liturgical vessels, and jewelry, was of the highest quality. This illustrated book is the first comprehensive treatment of the remarkable achievement of the Thracian people. Art historian Ivan Marazov and his fellow authors, all distinguished specialists in various aspects of Thracian studies, have analyzed a wealth of evidence from a number of sources - literary, linguistic, archaeological, and ethnographic - to form a picture of life in ancient Thrace. Ancient Gold: The Wealth of the Thracians" accompanies an exhibition opening at the Saint Louis Art Museum in February 1998 and traveling to seven museums in the United States. REVIEW: This 1998 exhibition of some 200 masterpieces of gold and silver metalwork from ancient Thrace featured spectacular archaeological finds from the two previous decades. A dazzling array of luxury items such as drinking vessels, weapons, rings, necklaces, and ornaments introduced Americans to the little-known culture of one of the most numerous peoples of antiquity. The Thracians were a loosely organized but powerful people who occupied most of central Europe from the fifth millennium B.C. until the fourth century A.D. Richly embossed metalwork in gold and silver constitutes the principal legacy of Thracian civilization. These artifacts profoundly illuminate Thracian culture and allow historians to construct new interpretations of the Thracian past. REVIEW: They had no alphabet and left no documents about their culture. Most of what is known about the Thracians, who, from the earliest historical times, occupied land that is now part of Bulgaria, northern Greece, western Turkey and Romania, came from the writings of their neighbors, especially the Greeks and the Romans. "Ancient Gold: The Wealth of the Thracians, Treasures from the Republic of Bulgaria", which will open Wednesday at the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, offers some more clues. The exhibition includes more than 200 gold and silver objects, dating from before 4000 B.C. through 400 A.D., many of them unearthed since the 1970's from royal tombs and burial mounds. Archeologists have turned up highly sophisticated artifacts that depict the Thracians as warriors, masters of horse-drawn chariots, and skilled goldsmiths and potters. One jug in the exhibition, from the fourth century B.C., features two intricately gilded horsemen in trousers and chitons aiming their spears at a boar, a detailed female bust and a female head that attaches the handle to the body of the jug. Another vessel from the same era is shaped like a helmeted female head, engraved with a Tree of Life and adorned with a sphinx atop the handle. A third gold piece, from 1500 B.C., consists of three ovoid vessels soldered together in an arrangement that allowed liquids to be mixed and poured together through one spout. "Ancient Gold" also includes royal necklaces, rings and other jewelry, armor, fancy horse bridles and adornments, chariot decorations, and bowls and ceremonial objects. They come from 19 Bulgarian museums, and many have never before been out of the country. REVIEW: Ares and Orpheus—the belligerent Greek war god and the greatest of mythical poets—might seem like polar opposites. But they have one thing in common: Their legendary birthplace was ancient Thrace. That Ares was linked to Thrace is not surprising. Homer, Herodotus and Thucydides all praised the fierce, warlike Thracians, tribes that inhabited the towering Rhodope Mountains of southwestern Bulgaria and the fertile lowlands south of the Danube River. But the Thracians’ association with Orpheus and his heartrending lyre suggests that they were also skilled at the art of art. The Thracians left a considerable visual legacy—much of it catalogued in "Ancient Gold: The Wealth of the Thracians", which is also the name of an exhibition that traveled the United States in 1998 and 1999. Four essays by the Bulgarian scholars Alexander Fol, Margarita Tacheva, Ivan Venedikov and Ivan Marazov accompany the brilliant illustrations, making up the first comprehensive English-language history of Thracian art. REVIEW: Published to accompany an exhibition at six US museums, starting at the Saint Louis Museum in February 1998, this is a study of the remarkable artistic accomplishments of the Thracians, a people who lived to the north of Greece in ancient times. In the Iliad, Homer described the Thracians as formidable enemies of the Greeks in the Trojan War, and their mountainous country gave birth to legendary poets such as Orpheus. But the Thracians had no written language, and until recently little was known about this enigmatic people. TABLE OF CONTENTS: Acknowledgments by Ann Van Devanter Townsend. Introduction by Ivan Marazov. Thrace and the Thracians by Margarita Tacheva. Between Ares and Orpheus: Myth, Kingship, and Art in Ancient Thrace by Ivan Marazov. Thracian Royal Tombs by Ivan Venedikov. The Thracian Cosmos by Alexander Fol. Catalogue. PROFESSIONAL REVIEWS: REVIEW: This beautiful catalog of an important exhibit currently touring the United States gives a rare window into the little-known history of ancient Thrace. Unlike its better-documented ancient counterparts, Greece and Rome, Thrace is not now a household word. It was a small, fragmented but influential country in what is now southern Bulgaria. Thrace had a heritage of war, music, and poetry; traditionally, it was the birthplace of both Orpheus and Aries. Because the Thracians had no alphabet of their own, what literary accounts are available were written by their neighbors, a chancy means of analysis at best. A better way to consider Thracian life is through its eloquent art. Hundreds of photographs gleam here with astonishingly beautiful objects, but this is not just another pretty face, there is substance as well. Scholarship is strong, with essays by noted Bulgarian scholars. Highly recommended for both art and ancient history collections. [Library Journal]. REVIEW: Five experts and over 200 color plates showcase the glory of ancient Thrace, especially what's been unearthed in the past 30 years. Maps place the Balkan home of Orpheus north of Greece. Issued in conjunction with a touring exhibition opening in February 1998 at the Saint Louis Art Museum, in cooperation with the Bulgarian Ministry of Culture. Includes prefatory remarks by Presidents Clinton and Stoyanov, and a chronology (6th century BC-6th century AD). [BookNews]. REVIEW: Who were the Thracians? Among the peoples of the Mediterranean, they have usually been numbered among fringe cultures, shadowy folk on the periphery of the bright world of Greeks and Romans. Emerging as a distinctive culture during the third millennium B.C., they lived in tribal groups in an area bordered on the south by the Aegean, on the east and west by the Black Sea and the Vardar River, and on the north by the Carpathians. Although loosely linked by culture and, apparently, by language, they never achieved political unity, living in small towns and villages. Cities did not appear until late in their history, and their most monumental buildings were tombs. The Thracians left no written account of their customs and history, and their language is known only from place names and a small number of inscriptions written in Greek characters. The Greeks, however, were well aware of their northern neighbors, with whom they came into contact, and conflict, in the course of colonizing the northern Aegean shore. To the Greeks, Thrace was a wild and woolly place: the birthplace of the violent war god, Ares, the home of the man-eating mares of Diomedes, and the land where demented women tore the singer Orpheus limb from limb. Homer's Iliad provides a striking portrait of the Thracian hero Rhesos, an ally of the Trojans and a fearsome warrior, remarkable for his large and beautiful horses, his ornate chariot, and his golden armor. The historian Herodotus describes the Thracians in some detail, commenting on their large numbers, their lack of political unity, and various customs such as polygamy and branding of slaves that, from a Greek perspective, struck him as very odd (Histories, 5.3-8). Greeks settled in Thrace and Thracians lived in Greek cities, and there was significant interaction between the two cultures, but any portrait that emerges from surviving written sources is fundamentally biased--the Greeks regarded the Thracians as barbarians. It is only by turning to archaeology that we can gain a better understanding of these people. "Ancient Gold: The Wealth of the Thracians, Treasures from the Republic of Bulgaria", now at the Kimbell Art Museum in Fort Worth, makes a small but spectacular part of that archaeological heritage available to American museum goers. Thracian lands lie within the borders of many modern nations; some of the most remarkable discoveries have been made in Bulgaria. The show, which presents some 200 gold and silver objects, opened in St. Louis in February, and it has now embarked on an extensive tour of the United States. The exhibition draws on the riches of the following Bulgarian museums--the Archaeological Institute and Museum, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Sofia; the Archaeological Museum, Varna; the Archaeological Museum, Plovdiv; the History Museum, Burgas; the History Museum, Kazanluk; the History Museum, Kiustendil; the History Museum, Lovech; the History Museum, Montana; the History Museum, Pleven; the History Museum, Razgrad; the History Museum, Russe; the History Museum, Stara Zagora; the History Museum, Targovishte; the History Museum, Pazardjik; the History Museum, Veliko Turnovo; and the National History Museum in Sofia. REVIEW: The exhibition was selected from the holdings and expositions of 17 Bulgarian museums and included 203 items with more than 300 exhibits. The interest of the hosts was primarily aimed at familiarizing the American audience with the little-known ancient Thracian culture as an integral part of the culture of ancient Europe. The concept of the exhibition was developed on the principle of the thematic structure of the Thracian art. For the first time the organization of this exhibition overcame the traditional archaeological structure of this type of exhibitions, created back in 1974, based primarily on the geography and chronology of the archaeological complexes. The themes: (1) Thracian Burial; (2) A Horse and a Chariot; (3) Gods and Heroes; (4) Treasures; (5) Royal Insignia; (6) Royal and Religious Drinking Sets. The advantages of the new approach: (1) it presents the Thracian art as an integral process; (2) it manifests the role of the precious object as a social distinction; (3) the functioning of the precious object in the ritual system of the Thracian society; (4) it presents art as a response to certain ideological requirements; (5) mythological and ideological ideas are embodied in the iconography; (6) it presents the Thracian culture as an organic amalgam of imported Greek, Scythian and Celtic artifacts as a result of the cultural interactions in the ancient world; (7) the concept of the exhibition, implemented in the design and in the luxurious and detailed catalogue, offers a new perspective for the study of the barbarian cultures in Europe. The exhibition was accompanied by a rich catalogue in English with editorials by leading Bulgarian experts, with introductions to each theme, with detailed annotations and pictures of the exhibits. The scientific focus of the articles coincides with the main task of the exhibition concept: to overcome two dangers imposed to the study of the barbarian cultures – overestimation of their originality and the Hellenic-centrism. The emphasis is on showing the beginning of the European culture (burial gifts from Varna Chalcolithic Necropolis), the beginning of the Thracian culture (the treasure from Valchitran), the interactions with the Greek, Macedonian, Scythian and Celtic art, the use of Greek iconographic and stylistic elements in the creation of the artistic language of the Thracians and the common features with other barbaric arts from Europe. Thus the Thracian art tradition was placed in the broader European cultural context in ancient times. Luxury invitations and a series of color cards were printed with illustrations of the most prestigious objects of the exhibition. READER REVIEWS: REVIEW: This is the first book that captures the unique culture of Thrace through extensive photographs of ancient treasures from museums throughout Bulgaria. I am happy to see that all photographs are accompanied with captions providing a wealth of information about the objects as well as info in which museums they can be seen. The preface details the history, culture, and religion of Thrace, and it's filled with fascinating facts. It gives you deeper understanding of the political and cultural complexity of the ancient world and the relationships among Thracians, Greeks, Phoenicians, Romans, etc. There is a timetable at the end that conveniently displays the various periods in the development of Thrace parallel to famous world events. Needless to say, the book is a must for everybody interested in ancient history. It also makes a great coffee table book, unique and fascinating like Thrace itself. REVIEW: Just over 200 fantastic items cataloged from various museums. A wealth of information and fantastic color photography. Lovely just as a coffee table book. REVIEW: Beautiful book! Outstanding photos and readable, interesting, informative text! ADDITIONAL BACKGROUND: REVIEW: The recent find of a magnificent 2,300-year-old solid-gold mask is helping to liberate the Thracians from the "barbarian" reputation given to them by their ancient Greek neighbors, according to archaeologist Georgi Kitov of the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences. Kitov made the discovery during the excavation of a burial mound in a region of central Bulgaria considered the "Valley of the Thracian Kings" because of the number and wealth of royal tombs so far discovered there. The mask is believed to be a likeness of Seutus III, a Thracian king who ruled in the late fourth century B.C. Weighing about one and a half pounds, it is the first solid-gold mask found in the country. Only partial remains of an adult male were found in the tomb, which contained objects necessary for a kingly afterlife: a sword, a double ax, huge amphorae that were most likely once filled with wine, and bronze and silver vessels. Along with the mask, which was positioned where the head would have been (the skull is believed to be interred elsewhere), an elegant gold ring depicting an athlete was also found on the body. The mask would have been worn during royal drinking ceremonies that were described by ancient Greek authors, says Kitov. After a Thracian leader consumed wine from a golden vessel emblazoned with his likeness, he would place the mask on his face, impressing his company with his power. The Thracians were a nonliterate tribe often depicted by their southern neighbors as wild savages. "Archaeology is helping us understand that the Thracians were much more developed culturally and politically than the Greek authors portray them to be," says Kitov. I always ship books Media Mail in a padded mailer. This book is shipped FOR FREE via USPS INSURED media mail (“book rate”). All domestic shipments and most international shipments will include free USPS Delivery Confirmation (you might be able to update the status of your shipment on-line at the USPS Web Site) and free insurance coverage. A small percentage of international shipments may require an additional fee for tracking and/or delivery confirmation. If you are concerned about a little wear and tear to the book in transit, I would suggest a boxed shipment - it is an extra $1.00. Whether via padded mailer or box, we will give discounts for multiple purchases. International orders are welcome, but shipping costs are substantially higher. Most international orders cost an additional $9.99 to $37.99 for an insuredshipment in a heavily padded mailer, and typically includes some form of rudimentary tracking and/or delivery confirmation (though for some countries, this is only available at additional cost). However this book is quite heavy, and it is too large to fit into a flat rate mailer. Therefore the shipping costs are somewhat higher than what is otherwise ordinary. There is a discount program which can cut postage costs by 50% to 75% if you’re buying about half-a-dozen books or more (5 kilos+). Rates and available services vary a bit from country to country. You can email or message me for a shipping cost quote, but I assure you they are as reasonable as USPS rates allow, and if it turns out the rate is too high for your pocketbook, we will cancel the sale at your request. ADDITIONAL PURCHASES do receive a VERY LARGE discount, typically about $5 per book (for each additional book after the first) so as to reward you for the economies of combined shipping/insurance costs. Your purchase will ordinarily be shipped within 48 hours of payment. We package as well as anyone in the business, with lots of protective padding and containers. All of our shipments are sent via insured mail so as to comply with PayPal requirements. We do NOT recommend uninsured shipments, and expressly disclaim any responsibility for the loss of an uninsured shipment. Unfortunately the contents of parcels are easily “lost” or misdelivered by postal employees – even in the USA. That’s why all of our domestic shipments (and most international) shipments include a USPS delivery confirmation tag; or are trackable or traceable, and all shipments (international and domestic) are insured. We do offer U.S. Postal Service Priority Mail, Registered Mail, and Express Mail for both international and domestic shipments, as well United Parcel Service (UPS) and Federal Express (Fed-Ex). Please ask for a rate quotation. We will accept whatever payment method you are most comfortable with. If upon receipt of the item you are disappointed for any reason whatever, I offer a no questions asked return policy. Send it back, I will give you a complete refund of the purchase price (less our original shipping costs). Most of the items I offer come from the collection of a family friend who was active in the field of Archaeology for over forty years. However many of the items also come from purchases I make in Eastern Europe, India, and from the Levant (Eastern Mediterranean/Near East) from various institutions and dealers. Though I have always had an interest in archaeology, my own academic background was in sociology and cultural anthropology. After my retirement however, I found myself drawn to archaeology as well. Aside from my own personal collection, I have made extensive and frequent additions of my own via purchases on Ebay (of course), as well as many purchases from both dealers and institutions throughout the world - but especially in the Near East and in Eastern Europe. I spend over half of my year out of the United States, and have spent much of my life either in India or Eastern Europe. In fact much of what we generate on Yahoo, Amazon and Ebay goes to support The Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg, as well as some other worthy institutions in Europe connected with Anthropology and Archaeology. I acquire some small but interesting collections overseas from time-to-time, and have as well some duplicate items within my own collection which I occasionally decide to part with. Though I have a collection of ancient coins numbering in the tens of thousands, my primary interest is in ancient jewelry. My wife also is an active participant in the "business" of antique and ancient jewelry, and is from Russia. I would be happy to provide you with a certificate/guarantee of authenticity for any item you purchase from me. There is a $2 fee for mailing under separate cover. Whenever I am overseas I have made arrangements for purchases to be shipped out via domestic mail. If I am in the field, you may have to wait for a week or two for a COA to arrive via international air mail. But you can be sure your purchase will arrive properly packaged and promptly - even if I am absent. And when I am in a remote field location with merely a notebook computer, at times I am not able to access my email for a day or two, so be patient, I will always respond to every email. Please see our "ADDITIONAL TERMS OF SALE."

Price: 83.99 USD

Location: Lummi Island, Washington

End Time: 2024-02-28T03:37:34.000Z

Shipping Cost: 0 USD