Buy this book on-line Koudounaris, Paul : THE EMPIRE OF DEATH: A CULTURAL HISTORY OF OSSUARIES AND CHARNEL HOUSESThames & Hudson, 2011 ISBN 9790500251781
From bone fetishism in the ancient world to painted skulls in Austria and B avaria: an unusual and compelling work of cultural history. It is sometimes said that death is the last taboo, but it was not always so. For centuries , religious establishments constructed decorated ossuaries and charnel hous es that stand as masterpieces of art created from human bone. These unique structures have been pushed into the footnotes of history; they were part o f a dialogue with death that is now silent. The sites in this specially photographed and brilliantly original study ran ge from the Monastery of Santa Maria delle Grazie in Palermo, where the liv ing would visit mummified or skeletal remains and lovingly dress them; to t he Paris catacombs; to fantastic bone-encrusted creations in Austria, Cambo dia, the Czech Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, Germany, Greece, Italy, Peru, Port ugal, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Switzerland, and elsewhere. Paul Koudounaris photographed more than seventy sites for this book. He analyzes the role of these remarkable memorials within the cultures that created them, as well as the mythology and folklore that developed around them, and skillfully traces a remarkable human endeavor. 290 photographs, 260 in color, Fine Click here for full details of this book, to ask a question or to buy it on-line. Bibliophile Bookbase probably offers multiple copies of Koudounaris, Paul : THE EMPIRE OF DEATH: A CULTURAL HISTORY OF OSSUARIES AND CHARNEL HOUSES. Click here to select from a complete list of available copies of this book. Bibliophile Bookbase lists over 5 million books, maps and prints including fine bindings, livres anciens, libri antichi, rare books and incunabula. Bibliophile Bookbase for antiquarian books, maps and prints. |