An alphabetical reference with more than 1,500 entries that trace symbols to their cultural, religious, or mythological origins, and explain the hidden or encoded meaning that lies concealed beneath objects' and concepts' ordinary, outward appearance.

"Tracing symbols to their cultural, religious, or mythological origins, The Element Encyclopedia of Symbols explores a wealth of objects and concepts, and the hidden or encoded meaning that lies concealed beneath their ordinary, outward appearance. Entries range from examples of metaphor and allegory to the symbolic meanings of numbers, letters, astrological and alchemical characters, as well as a rich array of abstract concepts that find their tanglible expression in the universal language of symbols."--BOOK COVER.

Animals and their symbolism in diverse world cultures and different eras of human history are chronicled in this lovely volume.

This lavishly produced voulume is the first reference work to focus on the symbols, meaning, and significance of art in native, or indigenous, cultures.

This valuable reference tool, the definitive sourcebook of signs and symbols, is organized by continent and contains more than fifteen hundred images and illustrations of signs, symbols, logos, signatures, stamps, marks, and calligraphy.

The book is the first comprehensive encyclopedia of Western ideograms ever published, unique in its search systems, that allows the reader to locate a symbol by defining just four of its visual characteristics. It is about our graphic cultural heritage as expressed in subway graffiti, fighter jets' signs and emergency exit symbols. It contains 2,300 symbols, 1,600 articles and streamlined reference functions. Ideogram scarved in mammoth teeth by Cro-Magnon men 25,000 years ago, put on modern household appliances by their manufacturers or sprayed on walls by political activists, are all presented in dictionary form for easy reference. Symbols cover current designs used in advertising, logotyping, architecture, design, decoration, religion, politics and astrology.