iBestiaryi is a wonderfully visual thematic exploration of animals real surreal and imaginary as depicted on beautiful ritual objects and works of art Famous artworks mix with littleseen artefacts from every age and around the globe offering a fresh perspective and new comparisons to stimulate the mind brbrArt historian Christopher Masters is a clear and informative guide illuminating familiar masterpieces and bringing lesserknown treasures into the light Arranged thematically into five chapters his book depicts animals in intelligent pairings and groupings of images that encourage the reader to find and learn the cultural context and connections between the origins of many different civilizations An ancient Egyptian bronze divine cat sits next to a 19thcentury print of English domestic feline bliss a miniature Ice Age mammoth faces an ancient engraved drawing of a horse the royal lion hunt is played across the walls of Ashurbanipals palace in Assyrian Nineveh a Minoan acrobat leaps onto the back of a 3500yearold bull while a Roman marble gives vivid life to the Persian legend of Mithras and the Bull