Picture 1 of 3
Picture 1 of 3
Medusa's Gaze: The Extraordinary Journey of the Tazza Farnese by Marina Belozers
US $12.99
Condition:
“The interior, cover, and dust jacket are in fine condition.”
Shipping:
Located in: Danielson, Connecticut, United States
Delivery:
Estimated between Wed, Jun 26 and Fri, Jun 28 to 43230
Returns:
Payments:
Special financing available. See terms and apply now- for PayPal Credit, opens in a new window or tab
Earn up to 5x points when you use your eBay Mastercard®. Learn moreabout earning points with eBay Mastercard
Shop with confidence
Seller assumes all responsibility for this listing.
eBay item number:145755130038
Item specifics
- Seller Notes
- “The interior, cover, and dust jacket are in fine condition.”
- Binding
- Hardcover
- Type
- Does not apply
- ISBN
- 9780199739318
- Special Attributes
- 1st Edition, Dust Jacket, Illustrated
- Signed
- No
- Personalized
- No
- Country/Region of Manufacture
- United States
- Subject
- History
- Original/Facsimile
- Original
- Language
- English
- Illustrator
- Yes
- Publisher
- Oxford University Press, Incorporated
- Topic
- Ancient / General, Ancient / Rome, Jewelry, History / Ancient & Classical, Art, Antiques & Collectibles, History
About this product
Product Information
The Tazza Farnese is one of the most admired objects from classical antiquity. A libation bowl carved from banded agate, it features Medusa's head on its outside and, inside, an assembly of Egyptian gods. For more than two millennia, these radiant figures have mesmerized emperors and artists, popes and thieves, merchants and museum goers. In this, the first book-length account of this renowned masterpiece, Marina Belozerskaya traces its fascinating journey through history. That it has survived at all is a miracle. The Tazza 's origins date back to Ptolemaic Egypt where it likely enhanced the power and prestige of Cleopatra. After her defeat by Emperor Augustus, the bowl began an amazing itinerary along many flashpoints in world history. It likely traveled from Rome to Constantinople. After that city's sack by crusaders in 1204, it returned west to inspire the classical revival at the court of Holy Roman Emperor Frederick II at Palermo. The Tazza next graced Tamerlane's court at Samarqand, before becoming an obsession of Renaissance popes and princes. It witnessed the rediscovery of Pompeii and Herculaneum, the turbulent aftermath of the French Revolution, and the birth of the modern Italian state. Throughout its journey, the Tazza aroused the lust of Greek, Roman, Byzantine, and Mongol rulers, consoled a heart-broken duchess, inspired artists including Botticelli and Raphael, tempted spies and thieves, and drew the ire of a deranged museum guard who nearly destroyed it. More than a biography of the world's most cherished bowl, Medusa's Gaze is a vivid and delightful voyage through history.
Product Identifiers
Publisher
Oxford University Press, Incorporated
ISBN-10
0199739315
ISBN-13
9780199739318
eBay Product ID (ePID)
113239197
Product Key Features
Language
English
Topic
Ancient / General, Ancient / Rome, Jewelry, History / Ancient & Classical, Art, Antiques & Collectibles, History
Illustrator
Yes
Dimensions
Item Length
5.8in
Item Height
1.2in
Item Weight
15.2 Oz
Item Width
8.3in
Additional Product Features
Book Title
Medusa's Gaze : the Extraordinary Journey of the Tazza Farnese
Lccn
2012-000620
Number of Volumes
1 Vol.
Dewey Decimal
736/.2220932
Intended Audience
Trade
Lc Classification Number
Nk5722.B45 2012
Table of Content
Introduction 1. Cleopatra, Queen of Egypt 2. Carved Gems and Romans 3. Constantinople: the Past Acquired, Revived, and Ransacked 4. Frederick II: the Quest for a New Roman Empire 5. Timur, the Conqueror of Asia 6. The Great Collectors of the Renaissance 7. In a Woman's Hands 8. Gems and Ruins in Bourbon Naples 9. Beauty Broken, Beauty Restored Acknowledgments Cast of Characters Notes Bibliography Index
Copyright Date
2012
Publication Year
2012
Series
Emblems of Antiquity Ser.
Dewey Edition
23
Format
Hardcover
Reviews
"This is an exciting book. It is well written, literally hard to put down, with good illustrations and solid notes and bibliography. In many places it is a work of speculation rather than fact, but such is the nature of the Tazza itself, and anyone who reads the book and then sees the object, or has seen it, will never look at it in the same way again."--Duane W. Roller, Classical Journal "Marina Belozerskaya has made a well-researched and welcome contribution to Tazza scholarship. With much direct evidence missing, she has still connected the dots of this artifact's remarkable journey." --Amy Henderson, The Weekly Standard "This imaginative narrative is an epic romp through history using the Tazza as connective tissue between empires and collectors over a 2,000-year span...More of a cultural history than an art historical analysis (and more fun to read), the book demonstrates the Christianization of Europe and the West through the reinterpretation of the Tazza's iconography." --Publishers Weekly "Of all the pitfalls to collecting, however, surely none is more treacherous than the sheer changeability of taste, since what is adored by one generation may well be discounted by the next. That is a point that Marina Belozerskaya decisively proves in Medusa's Gaze: The Extraordinary Journey of the Tazza Farnese, which purports to be about an 8-inch-wide agate bowl carved with mysterious figures..." --Dan Hofstadter, The Wall Street Journal "Thoroughly researched and well documented, written, and illustrated, this book is an engaging read."--Library Journal "The Tazza Farnese is one of the most extraordinary--and beautiful--art objects to have survived from the classical world. Medusa's Gaze tells its intriguing and dramatic story from the first century BC to the twentieth AD. A gripping and very surprising book."--Mary Beard, Cambridge University "With a good sense for both the scholarly and the sensational the author takes us through the history of the West's obsession with precious stones and gems, using as a key the probable history of one of the finest examples, from the days of Cleopatra to destruction at the hands of a museum attendant in 1925."--Sir John Boardman, Oxford University, "This imaginative narrative is an epic romp through history using the Tazza as connective tissue between empires and collectors over a 2,000-year span...More of a cultural history than an art historical analysis (and more fun to read), the book demonstrates the Christianization of Europe and the West through the reinterpretation of the Tazza's iconography." --Publishers Weekly "Thoroughly researched and well documented, written, and illustrated, this book is an engaging read."--Library Journal "TheTazza Farneseis one of the most extraordinary--and beautiful--art objects to have survived from the classical world.Medusa's Gazetells its intriguing and dramatic story from the first century BC to the twentieth AD. A gripping and very surprising book."--Mary Beard, Cambridge University "With a good sense for both the scholarly and the sensational the author takes us through the history of the West's obsession with precious stones and gems, using as a key the probable history of one of the finest examples, from the days of Cleopatra to destruction at the hands of a museum attendant in 1925."--Sir John Boardman, Oxford University, "This is an exciting book. It is well written, literally hard to put down, with good illustrations and solid notes and bibliography. In many places it is a work of speculation rather than fact, but such is the nature of the Tazza itself, and anyone who reads the book and then sees the object, or has seen it, will never look at it in the same way again."--Duane W. Roller, Classical Journal "Marina Belozerskaya has made a well-researched and welcome contribution to Tazza scholarship. With much direct evidence missing, she has still connected the dots of this artifact's remarkable journey." --Amy Henderson, The Weekly Standard "This imaginative narrative is an epic romp through history using the Tazza as connective tissue between empires and collectors over a 2,000-year span...More of a cultural history than an art historical analysis (and more fun to read), the book demonstrates the Christianization of Europe and the West through the reinterpretation of the Tazza's iconography." --Publishers Weekly "Of all the pitfalls to collecting, however, surely none is more treacherous than the sheer changeability of taste, since what is adored by one generation may well be discounted by the next. That is a point that Marina Belozerskaya decisively proves in Medusa's Gaze: The Extraordinary Journey of the Tazza Farnese, which purports to be about an 8-inch-wide agate bowl carved with mysterious figures..." --Dan Hofstadter, The Wall Street Journal "Thoroughly researched and well documented, written, and illustrated, this book is an engaging read."--Library Journal "The Tazza Farnese is one of the most extraordinary--and beautiful--art objects to have survived from the classical world. Medusa's Gaze tells its intriguing and dramatic story from the first century BC to the twentieth AD. A gripping and very surprising book."--Mary Beard, Cambridge University "With a good sense for both the scholarly and the sensational the author takes us through the history of the West's obsession with precious stones and gems, using as a key the probable history of one of the finest examples, from the days of Cleopatra to destruction at the hands of a museum attendant in 1925."--Sir John Boardman, Oxford University "[A]n excellent choice for inspiring nonprofessionals to become excited by the cultural history of ancient objects." --American Journal of Archaeology, "This imaginative narrative is an epic romp through history using the Tazza as connective tissue between empires and collectors over a 2,000-year span...More of a cultural history than an art historical analysis (and more fun to read), the book demonstrates the Christianization of Europe and the West through the reinterpretation of the Tazza's iconography." --Publishers Weekly "TheTazza Farneseis one of the most extraordinary--and beautiful--art objects to have survived from the classical world.Medusa's Gazetells its intriguing and dramatic story from the first century BC to the twentieth AD. A gripping and very surprising book"--Mary Beard, Cambridge University "With a good sense for both the scholarly and the sensational the author takes us through the history of the West's obsession with precious stones and gems, using as a key the probable history of one of the finest examples, from the days of Cleopatra to destruction at the hands of a museum attendant in 1925."--Sir John Boardman, Oxford University, "Marina Belozerskaya has made a well-researched and welcome contribution to Tazza scholarship. With much direct evidence missing, she has still connected the dots of this artifact's remarkable journey." --Amy Henderson, The Weekly Standard "This imaginative narrative is an epic romp through history using the Tazza as connective tissue between empires and collectors over a 2,000-year span...More of a cultural history than an art historical analysis (and more fun to read), the book demonstrates the Christianization of Europe and the West through the reinterpretation of the Tazza's iconography." --Publishers Weekly "Of all the pitfalls to collecting, however, surely none is more treacherous than the sheer changeability of taste, since what is adored by one generation may well be discounted by the next. That is a point that Marina Belozerskaya decisively proves in Medusa's Gaze: The Extraordinary Journey of the Tazza Farnese, which purports to be about an 8-inch-wide agate bowl carved with mysterious figures..." --Dan Hofstadter, The Wall Street Journal "Thoroughly researched and well documented, written, and illustrated, this book is an engaging read."--Library Journal "The Tazza Farnese is one of the most extraordinary--and beautiful--art objects to have survived from the classical world. Medusa's Gaze tells its intriguing and dramatic story from the first century BC to the twentieth AD. A gripping and very surprising book."--Mary Beard, Cambridge University "With a good sense for both the scholarly and the sensational the author takes us through the history of the West's obsession with precious stones and gems, using as a key the probable history of one of the finest examples, from the days of Cleopatra to destruction at the hands of a museum attendant in 1925."--Sir John Boardman, Oxford University, "This imaginative narrative is an epic romp through history using the Tazza as connective tissue between empires and collectors over a 2,000-year span...More of a cultural history than an art historical analysis (and more fun to read), the book demonstrates the Christianization of Europe and the West through the reinterpretation of the Tazza's iconography." --Publishers Weekly "Of all the pitfalls to collecting, however, surely none is more treacherous than the sheer changeability of taste, since what is adored by one generation may well be discounted by the next. That is a point that Marina Belozerskaya decisively proves inMedusa's Gaze: The Extraordinary Journey of theTazza Farnese, which purports to be about an 8-inch-wide agate bowl carved with mysterious figures..." --Dan Hofstadter,The Wall Street Journal "Thoroughly researched and well documented, written, and illustrated, this book is an engaging read."--Library Journal "TheTazza Farneseis one of the most extraordinary--and beautiful--art objects to have survived from the classical world.Medusa's Gazetells its intriguing and dramatic story from the first century BC to the twentieth AD. A gripping and very surprising book."--Mary Beard, Cambridge University "With a good sense for both the scholarly and the sensational the author takes us through the history of the West's obsession with precious stones and gems, using as a key the probable history of one of the finest examples, from the days of Cleopatra to destruction at the hands of a museum attendant in 1925."--Sir John Boardman, Oxford University, "TheTazza Farneseis one of the most extraordinary--and beautiful--art objects to have survived from the classical world.Medusa's Gazetells its intriguing and dramatic story from the first century BC to the twentieth AD. A gripping and very surprising book"--Mary Beard, Cambridge University "With a good sense for both the scholarly and the sensational the author takes us through the history of the West's obsession with precious stones and gems, using as a key the probable history of one of the finest examples, from the days of Cleopatra to destruction at the hands of a museum attendant in 1925."--Sir John Boardman, Oxford University, "This is an exciting book. It is well written, literally hard to put down, with good illustrations and solid notes and bibliography. In many places it is a work of speculation rather than fact, but such is the nature of the Tazza itself, and anyone who reads the book and then sees the object, or has seen it, will never look at it in the same way again."--Duane W. Roller, Classical Journal"Marina Belozerskaya has made a well-researched and welcome contribution to Tazza scholarship. With much direct evidence missing, she has still connected the dots of this artifact's remarkable journey." --Amy Henderson, The Weekly Standard"This imaginative narrative is an epic romp through history using the Tazza as connective tissue between empires and collectors over a 2,000-year span...More of a cultural history than an art historical analysis (and more fun to read), the book demonstrates the Christianization of Europe and the West through the reinterpretation of the Tazza's iconography." --Publishers Weekly"Of all the pitfalls to collecting, however, surely none is more treacherous than the sheer changeability of taste, since what is adored by one generation may well be discounted by the next. That is a point that Marina Belozerskaya decisively proves in Medusa's Gaze: The Extraordinary Journey of the Tazza Farnese, which purports to be about an 8-inch-wide agate bowl carved with mysterious figures..." --Dan Hofstadter, The Wall Street Journal"Thoroughly researched and well documented, written, and illustrated, this book is an engaging read."--Library Journal"The Tazza Farnese is one of the most extraordinary--and beautiful--art objects to have survived from the classical world. Medusa's Gaze tells its intriguing and dramatic story from the first century BC to the twentieth AD. A gripping and very surprising book."--Mary Beard, Cambridge University"With a good sense for both the scholarly and the sensational the author takes us through the history of the West's obsession with precious stones and gems, using as a key the probable history of one of the finest examples, from the days of Cleopatra to destruction at the hands of a museum attendant in 1925."--Sir John Boardman, Oxford University"[A]n excellent choice for inspiring nonprofessionals to become excited by the cultural history of ancient objects." --American Journal of Archaeology, "This is an exciting book. It is well written, literally hard to put down, with good illustrations and solid notes and bibliography. In many places it is a work of speculation rather than fact, but such is the nature of the Tazza itself, and anyone who reads the book and then sees the object, or has seen it, will never look at it in the same way again."--Duane W. Roller, Classical Journal"Marina Belozerskaya has made a well-researched and welcome contribution to Tazza scholarship. With much direct evidence missing, she has still connected the dots of this artifact's remarkable journey." --Amy Henderson, The Weekly Standard"This imaginative narrative is an epic romp through history using the Tazza as connective tissue between empires and collectors over a 2,000-year span...More of a cultural history than an art historical analysis (and more fun to read), the book demonstrates the Christianization of Europe and the West through the reinterpretation of the Tazza's iconography." --Publishers Weekly"Of all the pitfalls to collecting, however, surely none is more treacherous than the sheer changeability of taste, since what is adored by one generation may well be discounted by the next. That is a point that Marina Belozerskaya decisively proves in Medusa's Gaze: The Extraordinary Journey of the Tazza Farnese, which purports to be about an 8-inch-wide agate bowl carved with mysterious figures..." --Dan Hofstadter, The Wall Street Journal "Thoroughly researched and well documented, written, and illustrated, this book is an engaging read."--Library Journal"The Tazza Farnese is one of the most extraordinary--and beautiful--art objects to have survived from the classical world. Medusa's Gaze tells its intriguing and dramatic story from the first century BC to the twentieth AD. A gripping and very surprising book."--Mary Beard, Cambridge University "With a good sense for both the scholarly and the sensational the author takes us through the history of the West's obsession with precious stones and gems, using as a key the probable history of one of the finest examples, from the days of Cleopatra to destruction at the hands of a museum attendant in 1925."--Sir John Boardman, Oxford University "[A]n excellent choice for inspiring nonprofessionals to become excited by the cultural history of ancient objects." --American Journal of Archaeology
Number of Pages
312 Pages
Item description from the seller
Seller assumes all responsibility for this listing.
eBay item number:145755130038
Shipping and handling
Item location:
Danielson, Connecticut, United States
Ships to:
Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, Andorra, Angola, Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Armenia, Aruba, Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan Republic, Bahamas, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Belgium, Belize, Benin, Bermuda, Bhutan, Bolivia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Botswana, Brunei Darussalam, Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cambodia, Cameroon, Canada, Cape Verde Islands, Cayman Islands, Central African Republic, Chad, Chile, China, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Côte d'Ivoire (Ivory Coast), Democratic Republic of the Congo, Denmark, Djibouti, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Estonia, Ethiopia, Fiji, Finland, France, Gabon Republic, Gambia, Georgia, Germany, Ghana, Gibraltar, Greece, Greenland, Grenada, Guatemala, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Hong Kong, Hungary, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kiribati, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Latvia, Lebanon, Lesotho, Liberia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macau, Macedonia, Madagascar, Malawi, Malaysia, Maldives, Mali, Malta, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mexico, Moldova, Monaco, Mongolia, Montenegro, Montserrat, Morocco, Mozambique, Namibia, Nauru, Nepal, Netherlands, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Niger, Nigeria, Norway, Oman, Pakistan, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Republic of Croatia, Republic of the Congo, Romania, Rwanda, Saint Kitts-Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, San Marino, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Serbia, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, Solomon Islands, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Sri Lanka, Suriname, Swaziland, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Tajikistan, Tanzania, Thailand, Togo, Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Turks and Caicos Islands, Uganda, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, United States, Uruguay, Uzbekistan, Vanuatu, Vatican City State, Vietnam, Wallis and Futuna, Western Samoa, Zambia, Zimbabwe
Excludes:
Barbados, French Guiana, French Polynesia, Guadeloupe, Libya, Martinique, New Caledonia, Reunion, Russian Federation, Ukraine, Venezuela
| Shipping and handling | To | Service | Delivery*See Delivery notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| US $7.56 | United States | Economy Shipping (USPS Media MailTM) | Estimated between Wed, Jun 26 and Fri, Jun 28 to 43230 |
| Handling time |
|---|
| Will usually ship within 1 business day of receiving cleared payment. |
| Taxes |
|---|
| Taxes may be applicable at checkout. Learn moreLearn more about paying tax on eBay purchases. |
Sales Tax for an item #145755130038
Sales Tax for an item #145755130038
Seller collects sales tax for items shipped to the following states:
| State | Sales Tax Rate |
|---|
Return policy
| After receiving the item, contact seller within | Refund will be given as | Return shipping |
|---|---|---|
| 30 days | Money Back | Buyer pays for return shipping |
Refer to eBay Return policyopens in a new tab or window for more details. You are covered by the eBay Money Back Guaranteeopens in a new tab or window if you receive an item that is not as described in the listing.
Payment details
Payment methods
Popular categories from this store
Seller feedback (8,520)
e***_ (164)- Feedback left by buyer.
Past year
Verified purchase
Great seller, great prices, shipped fast arrived as described. Easy to deal with and item packaged very well. thank you
_***w (149)- Feedback left by buyer.
Past year
Verified purchase
great packaging, book arrived as described earlier than expected. This is a top seller, thanks! AAA+++
g***s (594)- Feedback left by buyer.
Past month
Verified purchase
Fast shipping and excellent packaging!! As described!
Product ratings and reviews
More to explore :
- EBook (Digital Delivery)s,
- Antiquarian & Collectible Books Hunter S. Thompson,
- William S. Burroughs Antiquarian & Collectible Books,
- William S. Burroughs Fiction Fiction & Books,
- Antiquarian & Collectible Books Pearl S. Buck,
- William S. Burroughs Signed Books,
- Antiquarian & Collectible William S. Burroughs Signed Books,
- Irma S. Rombauer Nonfiction Books & Fiction Cookbooks,
- Hunter S. Thompson First Edition Antiquarian & Collectible Books,
- 1900-1949 Pearl S. Buck Antiquarian & Collectible Books