Guardians of the Sundoor: Late Iconographic Essays (Quinta Essentia series) [Paperback]

Ananda K. Coomaraswamy (Author), Robert A. Strom (Editor), Rama Coomaraswamy (Foreword)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 1887752595 | ISBN-13: 978-1887752596 | Publication Date: May 1, 2004

Coomaraswamy's final un-published essays, including: The Iconography of Sagittarius, Philo's Doctrine of the Cherubim, Concerning Sphinxes, and The Concept of Ether in Greek and Indian Cosmology, are complemented by the author's own illustrations from his personal archives.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Ananda K. Coomaraswamy was a great scholar of art history and iconography. He knew thirty-six languages, and through his vast knowledge of differing systems of thought, he was able to attain great insight into metaphysics and symbolism.

Product Details

• Paperback: 175 pages
• Publisher: Fons Vitae (May 1, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1887752595
• ISBN-13: 978-1887752596
• Product Dimensions: 10 x 7 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,755,344 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

ANANDA K. COOMARASWAMY was born in 1877, of Anglo-Ceylonese parents. After completing studies in Geology he soon became interested in the arts and crafts of his native Ceylon and India. In 1917 he relocated to the USA where he became Keeper of Indian and Islamic Art at the Boston Museum of Fine Arts, establishing a large collection of Oriental artifacts and presenting lectures on their symbolic and metaphysical meaning. An encounter with the seminal writings of perennialist author René Guénon served to confirm and strengthen his view of the Perennial Philosophy. From this period onwards Dr. Coomaraswamy began to compose his mature--and undoubtedly most profound--works, adeptly expounding the philosophia perennis by drawing on his unparalleled knowledge of the arts, crafts, mythologies, cultures, folklores, symbolisms, and religions of the Orient and the Occident. In 1947 his plans to retire to India and take on sannyasa (renunciation of the world) were cut short by his sudden and untimely death. A representative collection of his extensive writings, entitled The Essential Ananda K. Coomaraswamy, was edited by his son Rama P. Coomaraswamy and published by World Wisdom.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Brilliant, incredible work by the finest mind in Metaphysics, May 24, 2005

By 

Ken Wheeler "Veritas Lux Mea" (kentucky) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Guardians of the Sundoor: Late Iconographic Essays (Quinta Essentia series) (Paperback)

This is a collection of some of the LAST works by Dr. AK Coomaraswamy which have NEVER before been published, the articles in this book will be a treasure to anyone into Perennial Philosophy/ Gnosticism, and ancient greek and Indian symbolism. I must tell you that I personally own many 1000s of books, the best of the best ever written on the topics of Platonism, Indian Philosophy, and perennial philosophy, and Dr. A.K. Coomaraswamy's works are absolutely THE best and most intelligently written amongst all that I have; I read them over and over. His work is typified by ungodly and amazingly pithyness; Coomaraswamy says more in one page than most people cant spit out in 50 pages. The present work, even though Dr. Coomaraswamy has been dead now for MANY decades, is the first time these specific works have come to light for the reader, and they are incredible. Anyone that has not read the works of Dr. A.K. Coomaraswamy has missed the best of the best that exists on the topic of philosophy, religion, symbolism, and general metaphysics,.....this work "GUARDIANS OF THE SUNDOOR", contain articles written very late in his life, and really represent the maximum brilliance of his works as his already brilliant mind progressed. As a person (myself) that hates most EVERYTHING written on the topics of metaphysics and ontological philosophy, this is the one person that stands out above all else. If youve ever read a book, and most havent, that was so great that you said to yourself: "my Lord, this is it, brilliant...i cant wait to read it again",.......this is that book. This book deserves everyone of five stars... by contrast, most all my book reviews are one stars. Of the hundreds of people ive recommended Dr. Coomaraswamy to, all have greatly thanked me, some have even fallen over themselves in thanks,... youll love this book, its a very rare gem amongst a Mountain of other books which are pure trash on the same subjects.

0 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Not what I expected, October 4, 2010

By 

KBChicago (Chicago) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Guardians of the Sundoor: Late Iconographic Essays (Quinta Essentia series) (Paperback)

Content is supposed to be great- however, I expected this book to be a little more that about 170 pages- I didn't read the fine print I guess.
My assumption (and there you go- never assume) was that a book of this caliber would be a thick, leather-bound, voluminous...maybe this is a shallow review, but I was looking for a lot more reading material from this author as his books are worthy of your time my friends.

0 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars guardians of the sun door, November 22, 2009

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HNOC (France) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Guardians of the Sundoor: Late Iconographic Essays (Quinta Essentia series) (Paperback)

Very happy with the book! in excellent shape. Essential in order to understand the way to remember continally
what is really necessary to the soul!