Not only is the face central to identity, but it is also the primary vehicle for human expression, intellect, and character. It has also been a central artistic motif in all world cultures, Debra Mancoff points out, and here she explores the depiction of the human face through 350 images from the collection of the British Museum. Arranged thematically (Birth and Childhood; Love and Beauty; Faith, Ritual, and Mythology), each of the book's chapters begins with a brief introduction before depicting faces as shown in Egyptian murals, a Mexican stone statue, wooden figures from Ghana, Japanese Noh masks, and self-portraits by Rembrandt and Durer.