Summary:
"A Catalogue of Sculpture in the Department of Greek and Roman Antiquities" by A.H. Smith is a detailed scientific publication written in the late 19th century. This work provides an extensive overview of ancient sculptures housed in the British Museum, focusing particularly on pieces from the Archaic period, including notable collections such as the Parthenon sculptures and other significant Greek relics. The book serves as both a catalogue and a scholarly resource aiming to summarize and contextualize these historical artifacts with recent research findings. The opening of the catalogue sets the stage for a comprehensive examination of ancient sculptures, providing important background information on the collection's origins and acquisitions. It outlines the scholarly contributions of notable figures and documents the evolution of these collections in the British Museum since its inception. The introduction underscores the importance of understanding the historical context and significance of the sculptures, including fragments from sites such as Mycenae, Ephesus, and Xanthos. Smith aims not only to catalog these artifacts but also to stimulate further academic discourse on their artistic and cultural implications. (This is an automatically generated summary.)