Synopses & Reviews
- What made him one of the most qualified and gifted interpreters of traditional symbolism to have ever lived was his extensive knowledge, love, and understanding of our world's diverse cultures, sacred scriptures, and languages. Coomaraswamy knew thirty-six languages, which meant for him that he had no need of a dictionary and knew that particular culture's literature, poetry, and music. He once admitted. "I actually think in both Eastern and Christian terms--Greek, Latin, Sanskrit, Pah, and to some extent Persian and Chinese." For this reason, he had access to the deepest levels of meaning to be found in language which made it possible for him to truly be able to interpret symbols and mythologies within the context of the literature and cultures where they are found.
- For students of symbolism, metaphysics, art, religion, mythology, and philosophy - for the True Seeker. This volume is without compare.
- Copiously illustrated with 128 illustrations throughout, a feast for the eyes.
Review
"There are many who consider Coomaraswamy as one of the great seminal minds of this century..." —Kathleen Raine, the
London TimesSynopsis
Coomaraswamy's final un-published essays, including: The Iconography of Sagittarius, Philo's Doctrine of the Cherubim, Concerning Sphinxes, and The Concept of Ether in Greek and Indian Cosmology, are complemented by the author's own illustrations from his personal archives.
About the Author
Ananda K. Coomaraswamy was a great scholar of art history and iconography. He knew thirty-six languages, and through his vast knowledge of differing systems of thought, he was able to attain great insight into metaphysics and symbolism.