1000 Symbols: What Shapes Mean in Art and Myth

"Symbols are an international language, but that language is far from universal. Different symbols mean radically different things in different contexts - a cross, a crane and a swastika each have a distinct meaning for a Buddhist, an art historian or a student of the occult. 1000 Symbols offers a comprehensive dictionary of symbols, placing each one in its historical and cultural context."--BOOK JACKET.