The ivories of Arslan Tash. Decoration of Syrian furniture (9th-8th centuries).
Picard| N° d'inventaire | 21475 |
| Format | 22.5 x 28 |
| Détails | 448 pages, 550 color illustrations and 190 drawings, hardcover with dust jacket. |
| Publication | Paris, 2018 |
| Etat | Nine |
| ISBN | 9782708410404 |
This book studies for the first time all the ivories decorating a princely wooden furniture discovered by the Assyriologist François Thureau-Dangin in 1928 on the site of Arslan Tash, in Northern Syria, including the elements acquired on the art market. The ivories are here attributed, at least for the most part, to a Damascene production dating back to the 9th century BC; it is believed to be the booty taken from Damascus by the Assyrians during their campaign of 773. A history retraces the progress of the excavations and the dispersal of the collection, today shared between the Louvre Museum, Aleppo, Karlsruhe, Hamburg, New York and Jerusalem. Observations made during the recent excavations of the Italo-Syrian mission clarify the archaeological context of the Ivories Building. The technical study focuses on the origin and implementation of the elephant tusk, concluding that production was homogeneous. A philological study of the Aramaic marks and inscriptions places them within the influence of Hazael, the historical king of Damascus around 843-806 BC. Laboratory and restoration reports reconstruct the use of gilding and a wide range of colors now erased. A chapter proposes hypotheses for the restoration of missing furniture, probably several thrones and beds. The catalog of 304 numbers is organized by iconographic types and all the pieces benefit from a complete graphic and photographic illustration in various lights.
This book studies for the first time all the ivories decorating a princely wooden furniture discovered by the Assyriologist François Thureau-Dangin in 1928 on the site of Arslan Tash, in Northern Syria, including the elements acquired on the art market. The ivories are here attributed, at least for the most part, to a Damascene production dating back to the 9th century BC; it is believed to be the booty taken from Damascus by the Assyrians during their campaign of 773. A history retraces the progress of the excavations and the dispersal of the collection, today shared between the Louvre Museum, Aleppo, Karlsruhe, Hamburg, New York and Jerusalem. Observations made during the recent excavations of the Italo-Syrian mission clarify the archaeological context of the Ivories Building. The technical study focuses on the origin and implementation of the elephant tusk, concluding that production was homogeneous. A philological study of the Aramaic marks and inscriptions places them within the influence of Hazael, the historical king of Damascus around 843-806 BC. Laboratory and restoration reports reconstruct the use of gilding and a wide range of colors now erased. A chapter proposes hypotheses for the restoration of missing furniture, probably several thrones and beds. The catalog of 304 numbers is organized by iconographic types and all the pieces benefit from a complete graphic and photographic illustration in various lights.