Ancient sculpture in the Allard Pierson Museum, Amsterdam.

JAMES, N. ; BRODIE, NEIL ; STODDART, SIMON 等

ERIC M. MOORMANN. Ancient sculpture in the Allard Pierson Museum, Amsterdam (Collections of the Allard Pierson Museum 1). viii+334 pages, 16 figures, 96 b&w plates, 1 colour plate. 2000. Amsterdam: Allard Pierson Museum 90-71211-32-0 hardback fl269.

The Allard Pierson Museum's two books are admirable. Dr MOORMAN'S very substantial catalogue raisonne presents 274 whole and fragmentary pieces ranging from Cycladic and Cypriot to Etruscan and Roman, including both freestanding and architectural sculptures, plus six pieces of doubtful attribution. For each, he provides notes on provenance, dimensions and description, a discussion, and references. Replete with excellent photographs, the book has been produced to the highest standard. Equally systematic and well illustrated and produced is the last part of Dr STIBBE'S study of Laconian wares. Two long and detailed yet concise comparative discussions of pouring vessels and containers for storage and carriage, with a couple on other forms, are followed by a catalogue with brief descriptions and details of provenance and prior publication (if any) plus a catalogue of secondary painted ornamentation. Three indexes serve different ways to use the book. One or two Dutch infections of the spelling will help to make it a pleasure. The Getty Museum's Greek vases is a set of eight essays on whole and fragmentary pieces in the collection, including new identification of a painter through detailed analysis of iconographic composition (C.W. Neeft) and comparison with items in New York. Four are in English, three in German (including an amusing piece on symbolism in pictures from Italy) and one in Italian. Updated now are the helpful lists of collections of Attic figure-decorated pottery around the world (CARPENTER & MANNACK).

Now, for the general reader, follows another trio on material culture which work together very well. They are followed, in turn, by three very satisfying books on intellectual culture and learning.