The Meaning of Flowers: Myth, Language & Lore
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Book Overview
Should you send a rose of crimson or of white to the one you love? What gift of flowers best expresses thanks to a dear friend? From ancient days, long before words complicated what we say to one another, flowers have been our messengers, invested with our most cherished feelings. Illustrated with luscious collages by acclaimed artist Ann Field, this enchanting tribute to the power and symbolism of flowers offers a contemporary introduction to an age-old tradition. The text draws on botanical, historical, and mythological sources worldwide, from ancient Rome to Victorian England, from Asia to the Americas, presenting portraits of almost 50 blossoms favored for all time. In Persia, for instance, the black medulla of the red tulip was said to represent the lover's heart, burnt to a coal by love's passion. To Victorians, lavender signified a broken trust, hollyhocks fertility, and nasturtiums a jest or whimsy. Blending fact, folktale, natural history, and original art, The Meaning of Flowers explores the language and lore of nature's most intimate and beautiful gifts.
Format:Hardcover
Language:English
ISBN:0811819310
ISBN13:9780811819312
Release Date:April 1998
Publisher:Chronicle Books
Length:108 Pages
Weight:0.98 lbs.
Dimensions:0.8" x 6.3" x 8.5"
Customer Reviews
2 ratings
A useful starting point for the non-specialist
Published by Thriftbooks.com User , 23 years ago
While I must bow to the expertise of the first two reviewers, who seem to have done much more research on the topic of flowers and their meanings than I have, I found the book to be a useful initiation into a subject I previously knew nothing about. I am currently online looking for other books on the subject because I found it so compelling. I think the book is more likely to serve as a resource for an artist--as a source of inspiration or ideas--than for a researcher. If you enjoy the study of symbols and tradition, and if you are looking for a jumping-off point for further investigation, or for some creative enterprise, this could be your book. If you are a serious researcher, you will--apparently--be badly disappointed.
A unique view of flowers, an enjoyable experience
Published by Thriftbooks.com User , 26 years ago
This book is not to be bought as a reference book for a complete history of flowers and their names. It is a synergistic combination of pictures and words. It is to be experienced as a greeting card from the flowers to you, a photographic essay about flowers and the way they can touch you. The words and pictures are witty and inventive. See this book not as a reference work, but as a special gift for a flower lover and you will be pleased.
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