"This volume, published in conjunction with the exhibition "The Art of Medicine in Ancient Egypt," held at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, examines the expression of medical concerns in the art of ancient Egypt as well as the practice of ancient Egyptian medicine as an art form in its own right." "Of the more than sixty objects illustrated in the catalogue, most are humble representatives of the everyday material culture of ancient Egypt. In many ways these works actually bring us closer to their anonymous creators than do the recognized "masterpieces" of Egyptian art. They also bear eloquent witness to how concern for the preservation and restoration of health influenced many aspects of Egyptian life and creative activity. Complementing them is the unique Edwin Smith Papyrus, translated in full and reproduced here in color. In separate catalogue essays, James P. Allen, Curator in the Metropolitan's Department of Egyptian Art, provides an overview of medicine as a major theme in ancient Egyptian art, and David T. Mininberg, M.D., Medical Consultant to the Department of Egyptian Art, discusses the legacies of Egyptian medical knowledge."--BOOK JACKET.

Relics of ancient Egyptian civilization testify to the Egyptians' continual efforts to understand and embrace the world they lived in. Ancient Egypt was advanced and sophisticated by the standards of the time, but disease and disaster posed constant challenges to daily life. The Art of Medicine in Ancient Egypt examines the expression of medical issues in the images of ancient Egypt as well as the practice of ancient Egyptian medicine as an art form in its own right. More than sixty beautifully illustrated works demonstrate how the concern for the preservation and restoration of health influenced many aspects of Egyptian ritual and art. Forming the centerpiece of the exhibition is a translated and full-color reproduction of the Edwin Smith Papyrus, written about 1600 B.C. More than fifteen feet long and inscribed on the front with forty-eight case descriptions, the Smith Papyrus was a medical anthology outlining procedures and techniques that are considered antecedents of modern medical practice. -- Metropolitan Museum of Art website.