Silent Images: Women in Pharaonic Egypt FROM THE PUBLISHER
Our endless fascination with ancient Egypt owes much to the beauty of the tomb paintings, statuary, temple reliefs, and other magnificent artworks that are the legacy of this remarkable culture. But despite the multitude of objects and texts that have survived, questions abound, particularly about the true role of women in Egyptian society. This wonderfully illustrated, brilliantly researched book draws on unpublished material from author Zahi Hawass' own excavations as well as new analyses of older evidence to penetrate the silent images and paint an astonishing picture of women's lives.
Hawass contrasts the stereotype-inspired by such symbols of femininity as the queens Nefertiti and Nefertari-with a more realistic view of the common woman's everyday involvement in matters ranging from family life to dress and adornment to the workplace and the legal system. Lavish photographs of places and objects, many made especially for this book, round out an enthralling, richly textured work.
FROM THE CRITICS
Robin L. Sewell
Silent Images is both a scholarly and an accessible survey of the lives of ancient Egyptian women. While queens and other royalty are discussed, the work focuses primarily on the daily life of the average woman as viewed from the perspective of modern Egypt.
The introduction by Suzanne Mubarak, the wife of the president of Egypt, points out that women had more rights in Egypt, where they were legally equal to men, than most other women throughout the ancient world. The emphasis of the book, however, is on the role of women in the family.
Silent Images is an attractive and readable book with more than 150 striking illustrations.
Library Journal
When women of ancient Egypt are mentioned, most people think of Cleopatra and Nefertiti, the enduring symbols of femininity and beauty. Hawass, a preeminent Egyptologist and director of the Giza Pyramids, uses both traditional sources and his own recent discoveries to examine women's role in ancient Egypt. Acknowledging that all extant sources were created by men and may be biased, he lays out a fascinating look at an ancient culture. The focus of a woman's life was her family: bearing and raising children and mourning the dead. But she had more autonomy than most ancient women. Unlike her sisters in Ancient Greece and Rome, an Egyptian woman had legal status, including the right to own property and to divorce a husband for "incompatibility." The book's color photographs of wall painting, statues, and landscapes are wonderful in their own right. Very highly recommended for most public and academic libraries.--Mary Morgan Smith, Northland P.L., Pittsburgh Copyright 2000 Cahners Business Information.
Booknews
Written at the request of H.E. Suzanne Mubarak of Egypt, this volume was presented to each of the delegates of the UN's fourth Conference on Women. Hawass, an archaeologist who has done extensive research in his native Egypt, has produced a readable account for the lay reader of the various professions and occupations of women in ancient times, whether as queens, mothers, and wives; their functions at different levels of society; their clothing and adornment; and their role in religion. The superb photographs, reproduced in quality color reproductions, chronicle all types of monuments, great and small, in oversize format (10x12). Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)
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