The Green Man [Hardcover]

Kathleen Basford (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0859910245 | ISBN-13: 978-0859910248 | Publication Date: December 1996

The Green Man - the image of the foliate head or the head of a man sprouting leaves - is perhaps the commonest motif in medieval sculpture. This work, first published in 1978, explores the significance of the image and offers insights into medieval man's understanding of nature, into conceptions of death, rebirth and resurrection in the Middle Ages, and into concerns today with ecology and man's relationship with the green world.

Editorial Reviews

Review

The rarest, most recondite and fascinating art book, which is a folklore and magic book as well... An incredibly thorough study, with every example illustrated, of the weird foliate heads or masks found in the medieval churches and cathedrals of Western Europe, with leaves sprouting from them. THE TIMES --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 126 pages
• Publisher: Boydell & Brewer Inc (December 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0859910245
• ISBN-13: 978-0859910248
• Product Dimensions: 11.5 x 9.2 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.8 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,181,837 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

19 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Groundbreaking Book for Green Man Enthusiasts, September 20, 2005

By 

E. Becker "Cat Herder" - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

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This review is from: The Green Man (Paperback)

This books holds a reputation as one of the seminal publications in modern Green Man research, and rightly so. There is little copy in the book save a few pages in the beginning outlining the myth as understood at the time of publication, but where it speaks most loudly is in the photographs. Beautiful black and white pictures from all over Europe capture the broad variety of ways that the Green Man has been depicted through the centuries.

Green Man fans must own this book!

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Green Man, February 10, 2008

By 

Arkengareth "Sage" (Texas) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: The Green Man (Paperback)

I recently saw green men, on a trip to England, and thought I would learn a little about them and possibly try my hand at chip carving. The Green Man, by Kathleen Basford, was consice, well written, gave history, and many picture plates of dated works. A treasure!

4.0 out of 5 stars The Green Man by Kathleen Basford, May 10, 2011

By 

carol kulp (Chester Springs, PA United States) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: The Green Man (Paperback)

There are extremely few books about the history of the Green Man so that gives the book a three star rating right there. The photographs are many and of a good size to appreciate. Would wish for color. The text and text notes are quite thoughtful and informative. It was tedious and somewhat difficult, however, to cross-reference photos to information in the texts, particularly the text notes. Well worth the effort, though.