Illustrated Dictionary of Symbols in Eastern and Western Art [Illustrated] [Paperback]

James Hall (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 14, 1994

James Hall's book explores the language of symbols in art. He shows us how familiar, everyday objects in paintings, drawings and sculpture often carry a deeper layer of meaning. Interpreting this language is a fascinating study. The author's work, "Dictionary of Subjects and Symbols in Art", deals with the symbolism of Christian and classical art. Here, the horizons are wider. He now includes the art of ancient Egypt and the Near and Far East whose civilizations employed a great variety of art forms that expressed many shades of meaning, from simple, everyday hopes and fears to the profoundest philosophical and religious aspirations. Each had its own, clearly distinguished language of symbols. This book provides their keys, comparing and contrasting one with another; An essential feature of the book is its illustrations. There are over 600, each one carefully chosen so that it throws light on a less familiar aspect of a (usually) familiar object. Chris Puleston, the artist who made these drawings, is a follower of Hinduism and has a wide knowledge of Hindu and Buddhist art. There are numbered references, throughout the text, to the sacred literature, myths and legends in which the symbols had their origin. Details of English translations of these works will be found in the Bibliography.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

This informative guide highlights the differences and similarities in the symbolism of everyday objects among various ancient, classical, eastern, and western civilizations. It also serves as a companion to the author's Dictionary of Subjects & Symbols in Art (HarperCollins, 1979. rev. ed.), which primarily focused on the symbolism of Christian and classical art. Over 600 objects are arranged into six sections by broad subject categories: abstract signs, animals, artefacts, earth and sky, human body and dress, and plants. A seventh section focuses on collective symbols that have multiple attributes and meanings. Each entry describes a specific symbol in relation to various beliefs, social customs or religious worship, denotes its origin, contains keys to bibliographic references or notes, suggests cross-reference terms, and includes an illustration of the symbol. Appendixes include a transcription of Chinese, notes, and references by section, a bibliography, and brief chronological tables for the Egyptian, Mesopotamian, Indian, Chinese, Japanese, Tibetan, and Western civilizations. This versatile guide will be useful for all types of libraries and collections.
Stephen Allan Patrick, East Tennessee State Univ. Lib., Johnson City
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Review

"This admirable guide treads a sure-footed path through this minefield and will be invaluable to scholars and to all those interested in the subject." -- Apollo

Product Details

• Paperback: 272 pages
• Publisher: John Murray (July 14, 1994)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0719553768
• ISBN-13: 978-0719553769
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.1 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 2.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,928,115 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

22 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars How to Figure out the Symbols in a Work of Art, March 6, 2001

By 

Renee Thorpe (Karangasem, Bali) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Illustrated Dictionary Of Symbols In Eastern And Western Art (Icon Editions) (Paperback)

Not terribly in-depth guide book to symbols in art. Nicely if simply illustrated, and is organized into these categories: Abstract signs, animals, artefacts, Earth and sky, human body and dress, and plants.

Will be helpful to the art history student, but it would be more helpful if additional specific artworks were referred to in each entry. All in all, good to have. Anyone researching above the high school level will need plenty more references, but this is a helpful springboard to further research or is useful as a quick source of simple answers to quandries like, "what the heck is the meaning of the hands on that Buddha statue?"

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Don't bother, December 30, 2008

By 

John Roberts "John in Omaha" (Omaha, NE) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Illustrated Dictionary Of Symbols In Eastern And Western Art (Icon Editions) (Paperback)

The illustrations in this book are a joke, the descriptions are pretty worthless. This book all together isn't worth it and I would recommend passing on this one.
It is completely lacking of any useful content.