Book Notices

BOOK NOTICES Only one of the following books has a direct connection with the archaeology of Kent, but they are noticed here for the very high standard of theh illustrations. Each is an " art " book, and for that reason perhaps not likely to come to the attention of the general reader interested in archaeology, who may often have wondered why this subject is, on the whole, hlustrated without imagination and frequently with but little technical skhl. One can only hope that pubhshers such as these may one day turn theh attention to the museum and field antiquities of prehistory and of Rome as they are represented in Britain. In his English Romanesque Sculpture 1066-1140 and Later English Romanesque Sculpture (Tiranti, 1951 and 1953, 7s. 6d. and 15s.), Dr. George Zarnecki covers in a fahly detahed survey the whole development of Anglo-Norman sculpture. The first volume has 82 half-tone hlustrations and the latter 133, all being of first-rate excellence, and many were specially taken by the Author. This is not the place to develop Dr. Zarnecki's argument, but few readers whl fail to be impressed by his remarks about the sculpture in the crypt at Canterbury Cathedral, the west doorway of Rochester, the font at Darenth, and the south door at Barfreston, all of which are well known to Kentish antiquaries. The books in this series are intended for students, and they fulfil theh stated purpose with much success. Of the text of Franz Feuchtwangler's The Art of Ancient Mexico (Thames and Hudson, 1954, 42s.), I am not in the least qualified to judge, and I can only write a word of gratitude for Irmgard Groth- Kimbah's superb photographs of architecture, painting and sculpture— some of the objects were exhibited recently at Burlington House—and say that such presentation can only delight, interest and certainly enlighten any reasonable reader. A book on the art of prehistoric Britain, treated in this way, ought to command attention. A book with hlustrations of equal merit is Temples and Treasures of Egypt (Soho Gallery, 1954, 21s.) with 31 plates, some in colour. The text by Etienne Droiton is in French and Enghsh, and the photographs by Hassia gain, as do those in the Mexican book, by being printed on a page 12 in. deep. The subject of the book is the bas-rehefs and paintings of the Second Theban Kingdom, and it is one of a series. Both text and pictures show what can be done to popularize archaeology in the proper way. R. F. JESSUP. 229