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orange cloth hardbound 8vo. 8º (octavo). dustwrapper in protective plastic book jacket cover. fine cond. binding square & tight. covers clean. edges clean. contents free of markings. price clipped dustwrapper in vg cond. scratches on the rear, spine top chipped. nice clean copy. no library markings or store stamps, no stickers or bookplates, no names, no inking , no underlining, no remainder markings etc ~. first US edition. first printing (FPuUSA 1965 & NAP). 288p. 2 b&w maps, one double page. chronology. list of illustrations. index. archaeology. art history. ancient history. religion. mythology. ~ Nomadic, virtually forgotten tribes once flourished in the vast Central Asian plains stretching from the Black Sea to the Himalayas. Here, surrounded by three imposing civilizations of antiquity~the Mediterranean world, India, and the Far East~they created a distinctive art that is often the only remaining evidence of their existence. The author of The Scythians and The Seljukes, two pioneering studies on early culture, has now undertaken a careful regional and chronological survey of the artistic accomplishments of these Central Asian peoples. Beginning with prehistoric days and ending with the centuries that paralleled Europe's dark ages, Tamara Talbot Rice traces the development of their painting, sculpture, pottery, textiles, and architecture, distinguishing between the distinctive contributions of the Central Asians and their debt to the art of other civilizations. Mrs. Talbot Rice examines the Central Asian artistic legacy~the exciting animal art of the Royal Scyths of southern Russia; the graceful Buddhist sculpture of Gandhara and Mathura; the exotic paintings of Khotan; the early Christian art of Armenia, Georgia, and Caucasian Albania. In so doing, she provides a brilliant analysis of the art that evolved in that part of the world where Buddhist, Christian, and Moslem tradition converge. A beautifully illustrated and expertly written study of a little known culture, ANCIENT ARTS OF CENTRAL ASIA is a valuable addition to the library of both students and laymen. with 47 color plates and 205 black and white plates THE AUTHOR: Tamara Talbot Rice left her native Russia in 1920, but has remained vitally interested in the art and early history of the country. Now married to David Talbot Rice, the noted art historian, archaeologist, and Byzantinist, she has also spent many years in the Middle East, excavating as well as studying the monuments and archaeological remains of the area. During the war she was m charge of the Turkish section of the British Ministry of Information. With her knowledge of Russian and Turkish and her first~hand experience, Mrs. Talbot Rice has been able to obtain much valuable information generally inaccessible to Western scholars. In addition to The Scythians and The Seljuks, her previous books include A Concise History of Russian Art.
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