The Birth of Persian Art (c. 550–486 BC)
Format:Paperback
Publisher:Taylor & Francis Ltd
Publishing:25th Mar '26
£47.99
This title is due to be published on 25th March, and will be despatched as soon as possible.
The Birth of Persian Art (c. 550–486 BC) offers a bold reappraisal of one of the most formative periods in ancient art history, revealing how artistic innovation helped forge one of antiquity’s most influential empires.
This volume shows how Persian art evolved from local traditions into a sophisticated imperial visual language, highlighting the revolutionary developments at Pasargadae, the influence of broader cultural landscapes, and the impact of Elamite heritage. Richly illustrated, it foregrounds the often-overlooked value of the artistic record as a historical source, providing insights into the role of visual culture not merely as a reflection of imperial ideology but as an active medium through which cultural integration, negotiation, and innovation took place. From Persian mountain valleys to remote Egyptian desert oases, and to Greek-culture infused western Anatolian cities, The Birth of Persian Art (c. 550-486 BC) revolutionizes perceptions and understandings of Persian art and the Persian people like never before, offering a fresh lens through which to view the formative period of the Persian empire.
Written for scholars and students of ancient art history, archaeology, and Near Eastern studies, it will also appeal to museum curators and art historians focusing on ancient Iran, Mesopotamia, and the broader Mediterranean.
"Achaemenid royal art has long been regarded as a unified and seemingly immutable tradition, yet the earliest works already stood apart in their originality, above all in the architecture and visual arts inaugurated by Cyrus at Pasargadae, before being perfected and canonized under Darius. In this masterful study, J. A.-M. radically renews our vision of these foundations, pursuing their every nuance with prodigious erudition and a command of the older artistic traditions of Elam, Mesopotamia, Egypt, Anatolia, and the Levant. By reconstructing the genealogy of motifs from the dawn of the first millennium BC to the birth of Persian art, he not only illuminates the intricate processes of inheritance, transformation, and innovation that culminated in the Achaemenid idiom but also restores to Elamite art—a domain in which he is an undisputed authority — the central and innovative role it played in this story."
~ Rémy Boucharlat
ISBN: 9781041077107
Dimensions: unknown
Weight: unknown
590 pages