Through the Labyrinth: Designs and Meanings Over 5,000 Years (Art & Design) [Hardcover]

Hermann Kern (Author)

Book Description

Series: Art & Design | Publication Date: September 2000

Laybrinths and mazes are found all over the world and have been a source of wonder throughout history. This work explores the many aspects of labyrinths from their architectural, astrological and mythological significance to their iconographical , mathematical and artistic fascination. It is an introduction to such different labyrinth forms as rock engravings on Trojan castles, medieval manuscripts, church labyrinths and Baroque garden mazes. He traces the origins, developments and changing meanings of this mystic form from the Bronze Age to the present day. The labyrinth's dominant position in Western civilization is supplemented by explorations in other cultures around the globe, including those of Egypt, India and North America. By taking a close look through the centuries at different cultures and across the continents, the cultural and historical significance of the maze takes on a new light.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"the ultimate source" -- Gernot Condolini, author of European publications on ;abyrinths

From the Publisher

"Through the Labyrinth" is a groundbreaking and exhaustive interdisciplinary study of a fascinating cultural phenomenon. The author introduces the reader to such different labyrinth forms as rock engravings on Trojan castles, medieval manuscipts, church labyrinths, and Baroque garden mazes. He traces the origins, developments, and changing meanings of this mystic form from the Bronze Age to the present day. The labyrinth's dominant position in Western civilization is supplemented by explorations in other cultures around the globe, including those of Egypt, India, and North America. By taking a close look through the centuries at different cultures and across the continents, the cultural and historical significance of the maze takes on a new light. Supplemented by recent findings by prominent labyrinth scholars from the U.S. and Europe, this visually gripping scientific study will captivate both the layman and the expert.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 360 pages
• Publisher: Prestel Publishing; Ferre Robert edition (September 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 3791321447
• ISBN-13: 978-3791321448
• Product Dimensions: 12.4 x 9.6 x 1.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,392,284 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

59 of 60 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars World's greatest labyrinth compendium, March 1, 2000

By 

Robert Ferre (St. Louis, MO) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Through the Labyrinth: Designs and Meanings Over 5,000 Years (Art & Design) (Hardcover)

A museum curator, Hermann Kern spent six years researching labyrinths for an exhibition in Italy in 1980. He then expanded that information and assembled the most complete compendium of labyrinth information ever assembled, from history to the modern era. Published by Prestel, a company in Munich, Germany, that specializes in art books, this compendium was available only in German until the current English edition, which took three years to translate and update. New material has been added to cover discoveries and contemporary labyrinths of the last 20 years, making this the most complete presentation of labyrinth information anywhere. It contains hundreds of photos. Granted, Hermann Kern is quite opinionated and confident of his opinions. Nevertheless, any serious labyrinth enthusiast should own this book. I rate it four rather than five stars because, except for a color section in the beginning, all of the photos are in black and white.

12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars The Labyrinth Bible, December 20, 2003

By 

Carlos Soreto - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Through the Labyrinth: Designs and Meanings Over 5,000 Years (Art & Design) (Hardcover)

This book is known by general consent as the "Labyrinth Bible" -the ultimate tool for the knowledge of the history and meaning of such a mysterious symbol.
Written by German lawyer and art historian Hermann Kern as a catalogue for a labyrinth exhibition hold at Milan, Italy, in 1981 this encyclopedic work covers the social and cultural world panorama from pre-history to modern times; the new English version is enriched with a new chapter by North-American expert Robert Ferré on modern labyrinth revival and with addenda written by British specialist Jeff Saward.
The cyclopic knowledge Hermann Kern shows in this complex, bewildering and paradoxical subject sounds sometimes ambivalent (like the symbol itself) but the book as a whole is a very good and important resource to understand the entangled complexity of this millenary symbol; with an almost thorough black-and-white catalogue (enriched with some magnificent colored photographs) of the most historical labyrinths known up to the 20th century; in addition to this the author approaches the several questions that baffle the labyrinth study like the origin of its conceptual idea or its symbolic meaning.
Historically the book is an impressive research from classical authors until recent geographical findings all over the world. However, his rationalistic approach misses the poetical (and potential) "Weltanschauung" needed to penetrate into the enlightened knowledge which transcends space, cultural concrete applications and time; besides this particular aspect this new version would deserve a better translation.
We, scholars, artists, researchers and enthusiasts are all indebted to Hermann Kern (as well as to Robert Ferré and Jeff Saward) for this (en)cyclopic work, which opened doors leading into the exciting field of further research.

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Definative Primer on Labyrinths, July 25, 2005

By 

Pegathae (Oklahoma) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Through the Labyrinth: Designs and Meanings Over 5,000 Years (Art & Design) (Hardcover)

The labyrinth is one of those symbols that have been found in almost every sacred tradition, from pre-historic to Grace Cathedral San Francsco. Unfortunately the richness of this symbol is not yet realized in the current rebirth of labyrinth popularity.

This book is the masterwork that shows the depth and diversity found in the tradition of the sacred path. LThe labyrinth story is told through many photographs of labyrinths from all cultures and belief systems. Especially fascinating are the classical Roman and Greek labyrinths, litte known great cathedral labyrinths, Hebraic labyrinths, Native American labyrinths, Hindi labyrinths.... I suppose you have the idea by now. The labyrith is a part of everyone's cultural and faith heritage. Find your's in this magnificent tome.