GENERAL INTRODUCTION 
Physical beauty and the history of civilisation . . 7
The physiology of beauty . . 11
General index . . see volume 5 

EGYPT . . 14
Nefer . . 16
The queens of Egypt . . 22
The mirror: a gift of the gods . . 28
In the service of beauty . . 30
Kohl . . 32
The Wadjet . . 34
The complexion . . 36
An essential luxury . . 39
Lotions and ointments . . 44
Experts in beauty . . 46
Cascading curls . . 48
The ubiquitous wig . . 50
Ramsesses was a redhead . . 52
A fascination with colour . . 54
Pleats and gossamer . . 56
A face for all eternity . .59

GREECE . . 62
The theatre of beauty . . 64
Olympic games . . 74
Captured by desire . . 77
Aphrodite in the temple . . 80
Dances with nymphs . . 82
The lady in the cup . . 84
Order and frivolity . . 87
Hair and hairiness . . 90
Work is beautiful . . 95
Male beauty . . 98
Ugly Priapus... . . 102
Beautiful death . . 104
Charms, enchantments and spells . . 106

ROME . . 108
Beauty on a pedestal . . 110
Intoxicating fragrances . . 122
Cupid the chemist . . 125
The Villa of the Mysteries . . 130
The art of makeup . . 132
Young beauties, heed my advice! . . 136
Caesar, an unflinching portrait . . 138
And all is art, that looks like accident . . 139
Bathhouse beasts and bathing beauties . . 140
Beauty must be made of marble . . 146
The aura of power . . 148

INDIA . . 152
Between asceticism and luxuriance . . 154
Buddha's cloudless light . . 164
A hybrid radiance . . 168
Aesthetic relish and vibrations . . 172
An oasis for the eyes . . 176
Flowers of flesh . . 180
The magic of Alamkara . . 184
A fine specimen . . 187
The androgynous divine . . 190
Fragrance as courtesy . . 193
The feet of desire . . 195
Beauty, invisible and dazzling . . 198
Sportiveness . . 200

CHINA . . 204
The metamorphoses of beauty . . 206
The two-headed snake . . 216
A symbolic bestiary . . 219
Elegance and extravagance . . 222
Canons of beauty . . 226
The chignon of the flying devils . . 230
Yellow foreheads and butterfly eyebrows . . 234
The nude, not an option . . 238
Breathe out the old, breathe in the new . . 242
Long life to the purified body! . . 245

OLMECS AND DESCENDANTS . . 248
The legacy of the Olmecs . . 250
Adorned for the afterlife . . 262
Gesture as metaphor . . 265
Divine proportions . . 268
Role playing . . 270
Portraits of women . . 273
Maize, youth and beauty . . 276
Temazcal, the bathhouse . . 280
Mysterious smiles . . 282
Masterpieces in feathers . . 284
Beautiful seamstresses and painted ladies . . 288

GLOSSARY . . 292