Baths and Bathing in Classical Antiquity

Book Description

Bathing in antiquity elevates a prosaic function to the level of a civic institution for which there is no counterpart in contemporary culture. Enriched by over 500 illustrations, many of them by the author, Baths and Bathing in Classical Antiquity is an important sourcebook for this ancient institution. Through hundreds of examples, it reviews and analyzes the structure, function, and design of baths, seeking to integrate their architecture with the wider social and cultural custom of bathing, and examining in particular the changes this custom underwent in Late Antiquity and in Byzantine and Islamic cultures.

Yegul explores the complexities of ancient bathing from several points of view. Sociologically, the baths with their vast appeal for all levels of society - were seen as the epitome of democratic ideals and institutions. Politically, they provided the perfect vehicle of propaganda: their lavish and magnificent interiors reflected the might and prosperity of the Roman empire and the apparent generosity of the emperor himself.

Architecturally, baths are at the vanguard in the development of Roman building technology. Some of the earliest uses of concrete as a building material and the most innovative applications of the aesthetics of concrete - bold, curvilinear forms, vaults, and domes involved bath buildings. Because of their status as transition between purely utilitarian structures and the more conservative, traditional forms of public and religious architecture, the baths helped to propagate and make acceptable new ideas and new styles in architecture.

An Architectural History Foundation Book

Customer Reviews:

This book brings ancient Roman baths to life........1998-03-03

Fikret Yegul makes the assertion that baths and bathing in the ancient Roman world were an integral part of daily life for a multitude of reasons: social activity, hygenic and intellectual. It was not uncommon for baths to contain reading rooms, lecture rooms and libraries. The baths helped to unite the Roman world in a unique fashion. These structures were adaptable to various cultural settings and tastes. Consequently the habit spread from one end of the Roman world to the next. In the west there was remarkable experimentation with design, shapes and planning. This book makes the Roman day make sense and sheds new light on the intellectual leanings of the Romans.

Bene lava a Roman would say while scurrying off to the bath. Fikret informs us that a Roman would refresh not only their body with waters of different temperatures, steam rooms and massage rooms but also their mind. Bathe a Roman would do at least once a day. At the bath an ordinary Roman would experience a variety of opportunities: a dip in a cold pool, immersion in a tepid pool or in a hot pool or even spend time in a steam room. All the while there were opportunities to watch roving jugglers, short skits or poetry readings in a lecture hall. Roving vendors for food and bath supplies wandered about. There were parks and libraries in the large baths. Plenty of room and places for peace and quiet to read, relax and discuss. There were exercise grounds for mild or strenuous exercise. Some teachers held class at the baths. Not only were the baths designed with places suitable for teaching but rooms such as that for the cold pool (frigidarium) had displays of famous sculpture. In the bath complex of Agrippa there were 300 plus statues throughout. Elaborate fountains sent water cascading over statuary and fine, rare marbles. The baths were not religious centers; these were open to all; a place to refresh, relax and restore the intellect and body: mens sana in corpore sano.

A temple complex required certain adherence to time honored rules of design. This was not so with the baths. Thus these became places for experimentation and creativity. Vaults and domes reigned supreme. It is as though some architects took paper in hand, grabbed a compass and began experimenting. Imagine a building as a very large rectangle divided up into several very large rooms. A roman architect would with compass and ruler in hand break up that building into pieces, make each room a dome or an octagonal room or a vaulted room of varying lengths, size and height. Then each of these new buildings he would rearrange into an intelligent and visually appealing pattern which would enhance the bathing experience. And accommodate more efficiently larger numbers of people than the original large rectangular building.

Fikret discusses with clarity all of these issues. He also covers attitudes toward baths, bathing morality and a wide range of issues.

BATHS AND BATHING IN CLASSICAL ANTIQUITY

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BATHS AND BATHING IN CLASSICAL ANTIQUITY
Fikret Yegul
Manufacturer: The MIT Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OQG1H6

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35mm SLR Camera Boot Camp: How To Take Amazing Photos Step by Step
Mark Williams
Manufacturer: Synsii
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Instructional & How-To | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books
General | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 097502101X
Release Date: 2003-01-20

Book Description

Learn to shoot amazing photos, even if you know nothing about photography. Go from zero to professional understanding quickly and take photos your friends will not believe. Mark Williams takes you step by step through the basics of photography -from selecting the right camera, film, lenses, and accessories to learning exactly how professionals get all those great images.

Customer Reviews:

An inspiring collection.......2000-06-29

Many of the pieces in this book are currently on diplay at the Museum of International Folk Art in Santa Fe NM; and if you happen to be in the area I recommend you visit. The presentation is as interesting and original as the pieces themselves. The current display is organized around the theme of Lewis Carroll's "Through the Looking Glass"; and is a unique and inventive way to arrange a museum collection. If you have any interest in art, and are curious about the original and interactive ways museums can show their pieces, you will enjoy your visit. Lloyd Cotsen and Neutrogena have a great and inspiring collection, and this book serves as a good overview.

The Extraordinary in the Ordinary.......2000-01-07

"This is a book that the reader will return to over and over again - sometimes for inspiration, sometimes for entertainment, and sometimes for the simply joy of noticing what extrordinary beauty lies in the ordinary." Catherine Neiner Shuttle,Spindle,& Dyepot

The Extraordinary in the Ordinary.......2000-01-07

Josefina's Paper Dolls: Josefina and Her Friends With Outfits to Cut Out and Scenes to Play With (The American Girls Collection)

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Josefina's Paper Dolls

Josefina's Paper Dolls: Josefina and Her Friends With Outfits to Cut Out and Scenes to Play With (The American Girls Collection)

Manufacturer: American Girl
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1584857056

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Josefina's Paper Dolls.......2000-07-29

Josefina is part of The American Girls Collection. This paper doll set makes a wonderful addition to the books. In addition to the doll and her 10 outfits and pet goat Sombrita, there is also a storybook to assemble. There is a sheet of instructions for using the stand and making the book and accessory envelope. There is also a card to send away for an American Girls Catalog. The cardboard envelope she comes in can be used to store everything. Josefina, Sombrita and their stands come on heavy card stock. Her outfits, accessories, and book pages come on glossy paper. They are beautifully colored. Josefina lived in 1824 New Mexico when it was still part of Mexico. The odd book pages tell a story about Josefina; the even pages give historical information about New Mexico and the life there. The backs of the outfits and accessories give their names. The large items give details about how they were made, when worn, where the material came from and how to cut them out and use the accessories. In addition to the clothing there are jars and pots, food and decorations, books, toys and even a piano. The outfits range from work clothes to party clothes for summer and winter. You get a real feel for what life was like back then. This is a wonderful paper doll. While it's great for readers of The American Girls books, it's also appropriate for anyone interested in Hispanic culture.

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Mexican Indian Costumes (Pan America)
Donald Bush Cordry
Manufacturer: Univ of Texas Pr
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

History | Fashion | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

General | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

Mexico | Americas | History | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0292734263

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Textiles from Mexico (Fabric Folios)
Chloe Sayer
Manufacturer: University of Washington Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Textile & Costume | Design & Decorative Arts | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0295982349

Book Description

Mexican textiles have a vitality that is unsurpassed elsewhere in the Americas. The arts of spinning, dyeing, weaving, and embroidery are practiced in hundreds of rural communities where indigenous people retain distinctive clothing styles. Their sense of design and color is dazzling and in many cases native traditions, such as Mayan or Mixtec, are coupled with postcolonial influences to fabulous effect.

Over 20 such pieces from the British Museumís vast collections have been photographed and explored in detail for this book. They range from a nineteenth-century rebozo, or shawl, made for a wealthy landowner to everyday pieces such as a huipil from Oaxaca. Anyone interested in textiles and design will find a wealth of inspiration in this book, and the detailed photographs will reveal unexpected nuances of pattern-making.

Customer Reviews:

traditional weaving.......2007-07-13

.... informative, educational and very interesting - especially when you have purchased some of these beautiful works of art.

Excellent book on Teotitlán del Valle weaving/ weavers.......2003-01-08

This book is well-written as well as thoughtfully and lavishly illustrated, giving one a true insight into the famous Zapotec weavers of this lovely and traditional Oaxacan community. Zapotec precolumbian traditions are mentioned, and the illustrations show many steps in creating dies, yarns and weavings ranging from the traditionally inspired to the most avant garde, from natural dies to the use of anilines and naturally colored churro wools.

As one who has spent time learning to appreciate the arts of weaving and embroidery from weavers through Mexico and Guatemala, including a hospitable and skilled family in Teotitlán, I heartily recommend this book to anyone with an interest in the topic covered.

Buy Before You Fly.......2001-12-05

This is an excellent book with gorgeous photos of Zapotec rugs and weavings. I recently returned from a trip to Oaxaca where I had the opportunity to visit the village of Teotitlan and purchase some rugs from one of the families featured in the book. I just wish I had read the book before I went so that I could appreciate the beautiful examples that I saw even more. Besides the information on the laborious process of making the rugs, the book tells the differences and qualities that make some "works of art" and some imitations. And in telling the story of the weavings, the friendliness and pride of the weaving families must be told. I will treasure the book as well as my memories of the village of Teotitlan and her people.

Gorgeous and informative, but nix the "magic".......2001-03-15

I enjoyed this book a great deal, and will no doubt go back to it again and again. The photos of both historic and modern weavings are gorgeous, and I especially appreciated the detailed description (and photos) of the laborious process of washing, carding, spinning, and dyeing the wool before weaving can begin. The photo of a man rinsing cochineal-dyed skeins in a stream is especially evocative, showing clouds of the red dye blooming in blue water. My only complaint is that the author occassionally seems as if she's selling the town and its inhabitants in the same way she sells their crafts. I think we need to ban the word "magical" from all descriptions of indigenous/low tech comunities until we acknowledge the "magic" of our voodoo market economy and the hard materialism present in even idyllic-seeming villages. But that's a relatively minor flaw in a very good book.

Excellent work on Zapotec culture.......1999-11-04

I have lived and worked in Oaxaca, Mexico for over 30 years. My parents and I went there for the first time in 1965. They stayed and built a life there. Over the years I financed my many trips to see them with import and export between the two countires. During those times of importing rugs from Teotitlan, woven goods from Mitla, pottery and wooden animals from various villages, I built strong relationships with the Zapotec Indians. I still visit and see them several time per year. Imagine my delight when I opened up Ms. Stanton's fine book and saw familiar faces, patterns of tapestries and rugs that I had been a part of, and an in depth exploration of the Zapotec reality in a changing world. This is a well written book, with a deep cultural understanding, and a fine display and history of those wonderful rugs that the Zapotecs of Teotitlan del Valle continue to produce. If you are going to buy one book that is high in quality and gives a real glimpse into the lives of the Oaxacan Indians....this it it.

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Stunning

Maya Textile Tradition
Jeffrey Jay Foxx
Manufacturer: Harry N. Abrams
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Textile & Costume | Design & Decorative Arts | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0810942917

Customer Reviews:

Stunning.......2001-08-24

This book is absolutely stunning. The photographs are lovely and the text provides invaluable information. This book is an important resource and I highly recommend it.

Mayan Weaving: A Living Tradition (Crafts of the World (Powerkids Press).)

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A Very Authentic Book

Mayan Weaving: A Living Tradition (Crafts of the World (Powerkids Press).)
Ann Stalcup
Manufacturer: PowerKids Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Textile & Costume | Design & Decorative Arts | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0823953319

Customer Reviews:

A Very Authentic Book.......2005-03-04

This is a nicely readable nonfiction book on Mayan weaving. It is a nice, more focused alternative to the broader subjects of the Mayans in general, which tend to be too wordy and detailed for some young readers. Color photos of Mayan girls and women in traditional garb are the best thing about the book. If you go to Guatemala, this is exactly what you will see!

The Unbroken Thread: Conserving the Textile Traditions of Oaxaca (Getty Trust Publications: Getty Conservation Institute)

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The Unbroken Thread: Conserving the Textile Traditions of Oaxaca (Getty Trust Publications: Getty Conservation Institute)

Manufacturer: Getty Trust Publications: Getty Conservation Institute
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Museums & Collections | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

Textile & Costume | Design & Decorative Arts | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

General | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

Preservation of Art | Reference | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0892363800

Amazon.com

Brighten your coffee table with a special treat from Oaxaca, Mexico. In The Unbroken Thread, the Getty Trust presents a magnificent and unique collection of lavish, full-color photos and narrative that illustrates and describes the special lives--as well as the vibrant threads--that are woven into the centuries-old tradition of Mexico's Oaxacan fabrics. Kathryn Klein discusses techniques, from color-dying different fibers to colorfully weaving designs that are both symbolic and indicative of the wearer's community. She includes a chapter on the evolution of the weaving and the histories that it embodies. The 2,000-textile collection of the Regional Museum in Oaxaca is given special consideration. It was once housed in a 16th-century convent and has been restored to its original beauty.

Book Description

Housed in the former sixteenth-century convent of Santo Domingo Church, now the Regional Museum of Oaxaco, Mexico, is an important collection of textiles representing the area's indigenous cultures. The collection includes a wealth of exquisitely made traditional weavings, many now considered rare. This book details a joint project of the Getty Conservation Institute and the National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH) of Mexico to conserve the collection. The book contains 145 color photographs as well as a wealth of information on weaving, cultural contexts, and conservation issues.

Textile Traditions of Mesoamerica and the Andes: An Anthology

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Textile Traditions of Mesoamerica and the Andes: An Anthology

Manufacturer: University of Texas Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Book Description

"This is a vital, worthwhile book that fills an important need and is very much in phase with current anthropological thinking.... This anthology will be particularly rewarding to readers interested in traditional indigenous communities and the insight gleaned from a detailed consideration of cloth and clothing."

—American Anthropologist

"The essays in this book are informative and a pleasure to read. Collectively they make the reader want to journey to Mesoamerica and the Andes to view in person the cloth and clothing of the indigenous communities."

—Latin American Anthropology Review

In this volume, anthropologists, art historians, fiber artists, and technologists come together to explore the meanings, uses, and fabrication of textiles in Mexico, Guatemala, Ecuador, Peru, and Bolivia from Precolumbian times to the present. Originally published in 1991 by Garland Publishing, the book grew out of a 1987 symposium held in conjunction with the exhibit "Costume as Communication: Ethnographic Costumes and Textiles from Middle America and the Central Andes of South America" at the Haffenreffer Museum of Anthropology, Brown University.

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