The World between Empires: Art and Identity in the Ancient Middle East

A timely and definitive exploration of the art and culture of the ancient civilizations situated between Rome and the Middle East that presents a new way of understanding the region’s influential heritage

This publication examines the art and architecture of regions that served as major trade routes between the Roman and Parthian Empires from 100 B.C. to A.D. 250. The book examines the cultural histories of cities including Petra, Baalbek, Palmyra, Dura-Europos, and Hatra together for the first time, capturing the intricate web of influence that emerged in the Ancient Middle East through the exchange of goods and ideas across the region. Works illustrated and discussed include statues, coins, reliefs, architectural elements and friezes, painted tiles and wall fragments, jewelry, textiles, and more. The World Between Empires is the definitive book on this subject, contextualizing the significance of these works on a local and global scale, including a thoughtful discussion of recent cultural heritage destruction and preservation efforts in the region, particularly in Iraq, Syria, and Yemen, and the role of museums.

• Armenia: Art, Religion, and Trade in the Middle Ages
• The Tale of Genji: A Japanese Classic Illuminated
• Monumental Journey: The Daguerreotypes of Girault de Prangey
• The Last Knight: The Art, Armor, and Ambition of Maximilian I
• Caravans of Gold, Fragments in Time: Art, Culture, and Exchange across Medieval Saharan Africa
• Tintoretto: Artist of Renaissance Venice
• Making Marvels: Science and Splendor at the Courts of Europe
• Manet and Modern Beauty: The Artist's Last Years
• The Self-Portrait, from Schiele to Beckmann
• The Colmar Treasure: A Medieval Jewish Legacy