Masterpieces of Egyptian art dating from 3000 to 300 B.C. have been brought together from great American museum and private collections to illuminate the role of women in ancient Egyptian society. This magnificent volume explores the full spectrum of women's lives and pursuits through three millennia of history.

The dazzling centerpiece of Mistress of the House, Mistress of Heaven is devoted to more than one hundred objects assembled for the accompanying exhibition, organized by the Cincinnati Art Museum and shown also at the Brooklyn Museum. The exhibition was curated, and this volume edited, by Glenn Markoe, Curator of Classical and Near Eastern Art at Cincinnati, and Anne K. Capel, Guest Curator.

Here are prime examples of stone and wood sculpture; wall painting; statuettes in bronze, terracotta, and faience; a mummy case; a painted and gilded wood coffin; jewelry in gold, stone and faience; and vessels and utensils in bronze, glass, and stone. Organized into sections devoted to Public and Private Lives, Female Royalty, Goddesses, and Afterlife, most are reproduced in full color, and all are accompanied by individual essays.

The reader's understanding is further enriched by the inclusion of a chronology, map, bibliography, and index.