Signs and Symbols: An Illustrated Guide to Their Origins and Meanings [Hardcover]

Since when did certain hand gestures become offensive? And why are scales a symbol of justice??

For thousands of years, humans have communicated through a language of signs and symbols. From uniforms to body adornment and corporate logos, symbols are everywhere, and this book is your guide to their secret meanings and history.

The Sun as well as the night sky with its stars and planets has long been used to symbolize supernatural forces. Learn about this and also how humans have used patterns, numbers, clothing, and more to signal authority, kinship, and status.?Signs & Symbols?decodes over 2000 emblems, explaining the visual language of architecture, heraldry, religion, and death. It answers questions such as why, for example, Christianity is symbolized by a fish, or how the Chinese use the crane bird to signify longevity.?

This comprehensive book also explores how certain gemstones or flowers became linked to personal qualities and how the alphabet and national flags came into being.?

Signs & Symbols?will open your eyes to the fascinating world of symbolism that is embedded in every area of our lives.Miranda Bruce-Mitford is a graduate in social anthropology and Burmese language and literature and also has an MA in Oriental religious studies from the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS), London University. For some years she has been tutor for the Post-Graduate Diploma in Asian Arts at SOAS. She has lectured and given gallery talks at the British Museum, London, and has escorted numerous groups to Southeast Asia.

DK was founded in London in 1974 and is now the world's leading illustrated reference publisher and part of Penguin Random House, formed on July 1, 2013. DK publishes highly visual, photographic nonfiction for adults and children. DK produces content forló&