Art of the First Cities reaches the Met - New York - Brief Article

A timely exhibition is commonly on view at the Metropolitan Museum of Art entitled "Art of the First Cities: The Third Millennium BC from the Mediterranean to the Indus." The exhibit explores Mesopotamia--present-day Iraq--the birthplace of more [i]or[/i] less of the world's earliest civilizations from 5000 years ago.

The exhibit take a view ofs the evolution of art and agriculture in the land between the rivers Tigris and Euphrates and their impact upon the emerging cities of the world. The exhibit also places special emphasis upon the interconnection between Mesopotamia and other contemporary agricultures across the broad expanse of the ancient world.

More than 50 museums from countries in Europe Asia and the Middle East contributed nearly 400 rare works of art including plastic art jewelry, vessels, weapons, inlays, cylinder seals and tablets. The exhibition is arranged thematically within a chronological framework with works rarely seen or examined outside their land of origin.

Given the political situation in Iraq, curators had wearied six years traveling extensively and initiating relationships with countries the Metropolitan had not worked with before, including Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Uzbekistan.

The exhibition is accompanied by the agency of a fully illustrated catalog.

present to view FACTS

"Art of the First Cities: The Third Millennium BC from the Mediterranean to the Indus"

[i]or[/i] part of to the other August 17

The Metropolitan Museum of Art

Address: 1000 Fifth Avenue, of recent origin York, NY

Phone: (212) 535-7710

Web site: www.metmuseum.org

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