The meaning of late prehistoric Egyptian images has until   now been   tantalizingly mysterious, as little understood as the circumstances of   their   production. As a result, analyses of these images have been general and   often   incorrectly illustrated. Whitney Davis now provides a welcome remedy in   this   detailed reinterpretation of the images carved on ivory knife handles   and schist   cosmetic palettes. These images are among the most important documents   of early   Egyptian history and include the Narmer Palette, often considered the   very   inception of ancient Egyptian image making.  Davis deciphers the intriguing pictorial narratives and complex   metaphors of    images that are concerned with "masking the blow" of the ruler. "Masking   the   blow" refers to the ways that the imagesfrom hunted animals to human   antagonistsrepresent, elide, or suppress the depiction of a ruler's   violent act   of conquering an enemy.  Examining late prehistoric Egyptian images in light of contemporary   visual   theory and illustrating his analyses with excellent reproductions, Davis   goes   beyond the usual concern for stylistic development and iconographic   meanings   that characterize prior studies. His work will greatly interest art   historians,   archaeologists, anthropologists, and students of the visual arts.

Masking the Blow: The Scene of Representation in Late Prehistoric Egyptian Art (California Studies in the History of Art) PDF

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