EGYPTIAN ART IN THE EGYPTIAN MUSEUM OF TURIN

It is something of a surprise to discover that one of the best collections of Egyptian art outside Egypt is in the industrial center of Turin. Egyptian art with its rigid conventions brings to mind the impersonal and impressive sculptures of pharaohs and deities. The brilliant illustrations in this volume give evidence that even within the accepted conventions an engaging range of expression was achieved. The book includes 115 plates, 38 of which are in full color. Showing an object in different views or following a general view with one or several details conveys a sense of immediacy as if the reader were seeing the object from different vantage points or distances. The 85 commentaries by Professor Scamuzzi are clear, absorbing and illuminating.