Studia Palmyreńskie (8.1985)

treatment. A particular attention is paid to attributes of gods and humans, and
elements of background: buildings, landscape, furniture, curtains (on tomb reliefs)
animals, birds and plants, motives of symbolic or purely decorative meaning.

A chapter discussing artistic contacts with the outside world is an interesting
supplement to the book. The Palmyrenian have imported not only pottery, textiles
and jewellery but also art objects, mainly marble sculptures. The most spectacular
discovery of such an imported monument was made by the Polish Archaeological
Mission, when the book was already in print. It was the statue of Athena Parthenos
found in the temple of Athena-Allat. Imports were coming from the Roman West
as well as from the East, chiefly from Mesopotamia. Silk was brought from China.

The book brings new arguments for the idea that the character of a work of
art is determined first by local cultural environment, and not e.g. by the nationality
of a person who paid for it. A relief produced in Britain by a Palmyrenian artist
and ordered by another Palmyrenian follows the conventions of the local edition
of Roman art. Some elements only, identified by a detailed analysis, point to some
connections with the art of Palmyra. Similarly, some pieces made in Palmyra for
Romans are basically Palmyrenian. Only some minor points show the foreign
origin of the buyers.

In the last chapters, the author presents his ideas on main features of Palmyrenian
art during over three centuries of its existence. In my opinion, he is right to think
that this art is oriental in its essence, as shown by its timelessness, linear character
and love for detail. He is also right in stressing the unique character of Palmyrenian
art, as a product of traditions of Near East and Eastern Hellenism, which preserved
its own features, despite changes occuring during the centuries. The Palmyrenian
art took sometimes single elements from outside, for instance from Rome, in similar
way as languages take loan words.

The most urgent postulate for further research seems to be a need of better under-
standing of conditions determining the rise of art of Palmyra examined dynamically
as part of the cultural process going on in Syria and North Mesopotamia, and not,
as it was till now, merely linking it to Oriental and Hellenistic traditions in a static
and abstract way. It should also be determined what was the original contribution
of artists from Palmyra and other Syrian centres.

The author successfully connected a structural analysis with historical aspects
of the problems in question. We should stress the excellent scientific method dis-
played by M. A. R. Colledge. However, a very complicated code for data, used
to save space, makes the usage of the appendix and notes rather difficult. It is a pity
that the editor could not print all photographs suggested by the author, and had
to replace some of them by drawings.

The book by Malcolm A. R. Colledge contains wide archaeological material
and presents interpretation of the actual state of knowledge. It also fulfills one
important task of synthetic studies: it is inspiring further work and research.

Michał Pietrzykowski