As the Roman Empire expanded its African settlements in the early centuries of the common era, thousands of mosaic floor pavements were fashioned to adorn the townhouses and rural estates of the African upper classes. Between the second and sixth centuries, mosaic art blossomed, particularly in Africa Proconsularis, the region comprising modern Tunisia. In contrast to the official art of imperial Rome, mosaics generally expressed the worldviews of private citizens. These artworks are remarkable for the intricate beauty of their polychromatic geometric and floral designs, as well as for figural scenes depicting the interests and activities of the patrons who commissioned them--scenes of daily life, athletic contests, gladiator spectacles, and classical literature and mythology.
Abundantly illustrated throughout, Tunisian Mosaics: Treasures from Roman Africa offers the general reader a lively introduction to this extraordinary ancient art. Initial chapters survey the historical background of Roman Africa and discuss the development of mosaic art in the Mediterranean. Subsequent chapters profile Tunisia's major mosaic sites and tour the collections of important museums. A final chapter surveys current initiatives to preserve this heritage for future generations.

This brand new book introduces both specialists and generalists alike to the remarkable world of glass manufacture and design from the Ancient World to the present day, as presented in one of the world's great collections of glass. Published on the occasion of the opening of the new Glass Pavilion at the Toledo Museum of Art, designed by Kazuyo Sejima and Ryue Nishizawa, lead architects of SANAA Ltd., Tokyo, in 2006, this book draws on the superb quality of the collections at Toledo. The Museum has consciously collected the best examples of the glassmaker's art across all ages. Today the Museum is internationally renowned for the quality and scope of its glass collection. The Museum has trail-blazed new areas of glass collecting. Thanks to its founder, glass industrialist Edward D. Libbey, the Museum has collected art in glass for more than a century. The Museum was also the birthplace of the Studio Glass Movement in the 1960s. The opening of the Glass Pavilion will further enhance the Museum's leading position in this field of art - it will offer visitors the matchless experience of being able to see a broad range of historic glass next to studios where glass artists are creating works. In this way the Museum and this publication will provide a unique insight into the design and working of glass through the ages, all within the context of a purpose built art museum space. This volume presents more than 100 major examples of the glassmaker's art from ancient times to the present, accompanied by discursive texts written by leading writers. The combination of these thought-provoking entries and the wealth of illustration makes this title a must for specialist collectors and generalists alike.