Signs and Symbols: An Illustrated Guide to Their Meaning and Origins

A circle with a dot at its centre. A cross. A serpent coiled around a staff. A star with five points, or six, or eight. These symbols appear across centuries and civilisations, carrying meanings that have been stable for millennia in some cases and radically transformed in others. DK’s Signs and Symbols is the most comprehensive guide ever published to the visual vocabulary of human culture — from prehistoric cave markings through the heraldry of medieval Europe, the alchemical notation of the Renaissance, and the icons and logos of the digital age.

Organised by theme — cosmic symbols, natural symbols, human body symbols, religious and mythological symbols — and illustrated with hundreds of images drawn from art, archaeology, and everyday life, it provides both the historical depth and the cross-cultural breadth to make every symbol comprehensible in its full complexity.

An endlessly fascinating reference for designers, artists, historians, and anyone captivated by the way human beings create meaning through visual form. Published by DK.