Scent, Colour and Glitter in the Ancient World
A Comparative History of Aromatics, Cosmetics and Adornment, from the Mediterranean to the China Seas
Scent, Colour and Glitter in the Ancient World
A Comparative History of Aromatics, Cosmetics and Adornment, from the Mediterranean to the China Seas
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Description
Aromatics, cosmetics and personal adornment have had a major role in the evolution of human society, particularly in the cradles of civilization between the Nile and the Indus.
Far from being concerned with the frivolities of vain pursuits, their study touches on religion, cosmology, rituals and magic, life and the afterlife, sexuality and procreation, artistic expression, technology, craftsmanship, aesthetics, administrative structures, long-distance trade and cross-cultural exchanges – in sum, all the essentials that underpin human civilization.
This richly illustrated book provides a history of luxury items from the Neolithic period to late Antiquity. Egyptian and Mesopotamian cosmetics are discussed first, along with the vast region between the Nile and the Indus, with the Iranian plateau at its core. Through the latter, the book ventures westwards to the Greco-Roman world and eastwards to the Indian subcontinent and China. The differing focus of each chapter gives a fuller picture of the global role of aromatics, cosmetics and jewellery within a broader civilizational framework that includes archaeological discoveries that have come to light in the last six decades.
Table of Contents
Preface
Acknowledgements
Note on Transliteration
INTRODUCTION and a Note on the Origins
PART I. FROM EGYPT TO MESOPOTAMIA
CHAPTER 1. To see 'with the eyes of Horus'– The legacy of Egyptian papyri
CHAPTER 2. A seductive goddess as a model of vanity
PART II. THE IRANIAN WORLD AND THE INDO- IRANIAN BORDERLANDS
CHAPTER 1. The highlands beckon
CHAPTER. 2. The Elamite World
CHAPTER 3. In search of Marhashi
CHAPTER 4. The Indo-Iranian borderlands.
CHAPTER 5. The Oxus (Amu Darya) and Greater Khorasan
CHAPTER 6. Backdating innovation: Cosmetics, aromatics, and personal adornment
CHAPTER 7. Presages of empire.
PART III. THE AGE OF EMPIRES, RELIGIONS and SCIENCE
CHAPTER 1. A historical overview
CHAPTER 2. Imperial opulence
CHAPTER 3. The glitter of non-imperial elites
CHAPTER 4. The backlash
CHAPTER 5. Science and magic
PART IV. THE ROAD TO CHINA
CHAPTER 1. All about silk
CHAPTER 2. 'Chiangkenomania'
CHAPTER 3. The maritime route
Chapter 4. Joys and woes under the Tang
CHAPTER 5. Drugs and Aromatics
Chapter 6. Cosmetics and Pigments
Chapter 7. Jewellery and Adornment
Bibiliography
Product details
| Published | 08 Jan 2026 |
|---|---|
| Format | Hardback |
| Edition | 1st |
| Extent | 504 |
| ISBN | 9780755656820 |
| Imprint | I.B. Tauris |
| Illustrations | 100 Colour |
| Dimensions | 234 x 156 mm |
| Publisher | Bloomsbury Publishing |
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