How did a symbol such as the cross, which today is so commonly associated with Christianity, come to appear in the pre-Columbian art of Central America? Why does the crow stand for death, evil and bad luck in Europe but signify a creative and civilizing force in Native American culture?Every traditional symbol bears an elemental power that transcends boundaries and holds significance for many cultures. But the ways in which we interpret such power have varied tremendously around the world and through the ages. In Symbols and their Meanings, author and art historian Jack Tresidder explores core symbols from across global cultures, through themes common to the world's spiritual imagination.Thought-provoking and visually stunning, Symbols and their Meanings offers a uniquely accessible compendium of symbols and symbol systems, and shows how the profound messages conveyed by symbols have enriched the world's cultural and spiritual heritage. Jack Tresidder has worked as a newspaper journalist, foreign news editor, and book and theatre critic, and, in London, as a publishing director. Born and educated in New Zealand, he now lives and writes in a remote valley in the French Alps.

Tresidder, Jack

New York: Barnes & Noble

Silver Lining Books

Marboro Books

United States, United States of America

PS, 2000

2021

[curator]lenscriv@archive.org[/curator][date]20180629190503[/date]

Subtitle on cover: The illustrated guide to more than 1,000 symbols - their traditional and contemporary significance.
Includes bibliographical references (page 174) and index.

184 pages : 21 cm
"How did a symbol such as the cross, which today is so commonly associated with Christianity, come to appear in the pre-Columbian art of Central America? Why does the crow stand for death, evil and bad luck in Europe - but signify a creative and civilizing force in Native American culture? Every traditional symbol bears an elemental power that transcends boundaries and holds significance for many cultures. But the ways in which we interpret such power have varied tremendously around the world and through the ages. In Symbols and Their Meanings, author and art historian Jack Tresidder explores core symbols from across global cultures, through themes common to the world's spiritual imagination. Thought-provoking and visually stunning, Symbols and their Meanings offers a uniquely accessible compendium of symbols and symbol systems, and shows how the profound messages conveyed by symbols have enriched the world's cultural and spiritual heritage."--Front cover flap
Subtitle on cover: The illustrated guide to more than 1,000 symbols - their traditional and contemporary significance
Introduction -- The spirit incarnate -- Soul, mind and the supernatural -- The animal world -- The plant kingdom -- Spirits of the cosmos -- Arts and artefacts -- Patterns and graphics -- Symbol systems
Includes bibliographical references (page 174) and index

2023-06-28