{"product_id":"signs-symbols-an-illustrated-guide-clare-gibson-9780760702178","title":"Signs \u0026 Symbols: An Illustrated Guide to Their Meaning and Origins | Clare Gibson","description":"\u003cdiv style=\"font-family: inherit; color: #333; line-height: 1.6;\"\u003e\n  \u003csection style=\"margin-bottom: 25px;\"\u003e\n    \u003cp style=\"font-size: 1.1em; font-weight: 500; margin-bottom: 20px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2c3e50;\"\u003eThis wide-ranging compendium traces symbolism to its ancient roots, examining a vast variety of symbolic images across cultures and eras. In \u003cstrong\u003eSigns \u0026amp; Symbols: An Illustrated Guide to Their Meaning and Origins\u003c\/strong\u003e, historian \u003cstrong\u003eClare Gibson\u003c\/strong\u003e offers an essential reference manual that explores the evolution, historical migration, and psychological significance of human iconography.\u003c\/p\u003e\n    \n    \u003ch2 style=\"color: #2c3e50; font-size: 1.5em; border-bottom: 1px solid #eaeaea; padding-bottom: 5px; margin-top: 20px;\"\u003eBook Overview \u0026amp; Core Themes\u003c\/h2\u003e\n    \u003cp style=\"margin-bottom: 15px;\"\u003eStructured around six main thematic chapters, this volume helps readers decode hidden meanings in art, architecture, literature, and everyday culture. Pairing detailed annotations with rich color and monochrome illustrations, Gibson illuminates how sacred emblems, heraldry, esoteric signs, natural motifs, and mythical creatures have communicated complex human ideas across millennia.\u003c\/p\u003e\n    \u003cp style=\"margin-bottom: 15px;\"\u003eKey areas examined within this work include:\u003c\/p\u003e\n    \u003cul style=\"padding-left: 20px; margin-bottom: 15px;\"\u003e\n      \u003cli style=\"margin-bottom: 6px;\"\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eSacred Symbols:\u003c\/strong\u003e Religious iconography, spiritual emblems, and divine representations across world traditions.\u003c\/li\u003e\n      \u003cli style=\"margin-bottom: 6px;\"\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eSymbols of Identity:\u003c\/strong\u003e Heraldry, family crests, national markers, and personal insignias.\u003c\/li\u003e\n      \u003cli style=\"margin-bottom: 6px;\"\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eMagic, the Occult, and Symbol Systems:\u003c\/strong\u003e Astrological glyphs, alchemical signs, and divinatory systems.\u003c\/li\u003e\n      \u003cli style=\"margin-bottom: 6px;\"\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eNature \u0026amp; Fantastic Creatures:\u003c\/strong\u003e Cosmological motifs, natural elements, mythical beasts, and legendary hybrids.\u003c\/li\u003e\n    \u003c\/ul\u003e\n  \u003c\/section\u003e\n\n  \u003csection style=\"margin-bottom: 25px;\"\u003e\n    \u003ch2 style=\"color: #2c3e50; font-size: 1.5em; border-bottom: 1px solid #eaeaea; padding-bottom: 5px;\"\u003eAbout the Author\u003c\/h2\u003e\n    \u003cp style=\"margin-bottom: 15px;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eClare Gibson\u003c\/strong\u003e was educated in history at King's College London and is a respected author and researcher specializing in mythology, historical symbolism, heraldry, and cultural history. Her extensive body of work includes authoritative studies on sacred motifs, goddess symbolism, and historic iconology, establishing her as a leading popular historian in visual symbology.\u003c\/p\u003e\n  \u003c\/section\u003e\n\n  \u003csection style=\"margin-bottom: 25px;\"\u003e\n    \u003ch2 style=\"color: #2c3e50; font-size: 1.5em; border-bottom: 1px solid #eaeaea; padding-bottom: 5px;\"\u003eCore Audience \u0026amp; Intended Use\u003c\/h2\u003e\n    \u003cul style=\"padding-left: 20px; margin-bottom: 15px;\"\u003e\n      \u003cli style=\"margin-bottom: 8px;\"\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eVisual Artists \u0026amp; Graphic Designers:\u003c\/strong\u003e An invaluable desk reference for sourcing authentic historical context and symbolic shorthand.\u003c\/li\u003e\n      \u003cli style=\"margin-bottom: 8px;\"\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eArt History \u0026amp; Anthropology Students:\u003c\/strong\u003e A foundational text for decoding motif migrations and cross-cultural iconography in classic art and architecture.\u003c\/li\u003e\n      \u003cli style=\"margin-bottom: 8px;\"\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eGeneral Readers \u0026amp; Myth Enthusiasts:\u003c\/strong\u003e An engaging illustrated guide for anyone seeking to understand the hidden visual language of civilization.\u003c\/li\u003e\n    \u003c\/ul\u003e\n  \u003c\/section\u003e\n\n  \u003csection style=\"margin-bottom: 25px;\"\u003e\n    \u003ch2 style=\"color: #2c3e50; font-size: 1.5em; border-bottom: 1px solid #eaeaea; padding-bottom: 5px;\"\u003eProduct Specifications\u003c\/h2\u003e\n    \u003ctable style=\"width: 100%; border-collapse: collapse; margin-top: 15px; font-size: 0.95em;\"\u003e\n      \u003ctbody\u003e\n        \u003ctr\u003e\n          \u003cth style=\"border: 1px solid #ddd; padding: 10px; background-color: #f9f9f9; text-align: left; width: 35%;\"\u003eFull Title\u003c\/th\u003e\n          \u003ctd style=\"border: 1px solid #ddd; padding: 10px;\"\u003eSigns \u0026amp; Symbols: An Illustrated Guide to Their Meaning and Origins\u003c\/td\u003e\n        \u003c\/tr\u003e\n        \u003ctr\u003e\n          \u003cth style=\"border: 1px solid #ddd; padding: 10px; background-color: #f9f9f9; text-align: left;\"\u003eAuthor(s)\u003c\/th\u003e\n          \u003ctd style=\"border: 1px solid #ddd; padding: 10px;\"\u003eClare Gibson\u003c\/td\u003e\n        \u003c\/tr\u003e\n        \u003ctr\u003e\n          \u003cth style=\"border: 1px solid #ddd; padding: 10px; background-color: #f9f9f9; text-align: left;\"\u003ePublisher \u0026amp; Imprint\u003c\/th\u003e\n          \u003ctd style=\"border: 1px solid #ddd; padding: 10px;\"\u003eBarnes \u0026amp; Noble Books\u003c\/td\u003e\n        \u003c\/tr\u003e\n        \u003ctr\u003e\n          \u003cth style=\"border: 1px solid #ddd; padding: 10px; background-color: #f9f9f9; text-align: left;\"\u003ePublication Date\u003c\/th\u003e\n          \u003ctd style=\"border: 1px solid #ddd; padding: 10px;\"\u003e1996\u003c\/td\u003e\n        \u003c\/tr\u003e\n        \u003ctr\u003e\n          \u003cth style=\"border: 1px solid #ddd; padding: 10px; background-color: #f9f9f9; text-align: left;\"\u003eBinding Format\u003c\/th\u003e\n          \u003ctd style=\"border: 1px solid #ddd; padding: 10px;\"\u003eHardcover (HC)\u003c\/td\u003e\n        \u003c\/tr\u003e\n        \u003ctr\u003e\n          \u003cth style=\"border: 1px solid #ddd; padding: 10px; background-color: #f9f9f9; text-align: left;\"\u003ePrint Length\u003c\/th\u003e\n          \u003ctd style=\"border: 1px solid #ddd; padding: 10px;\"\u003e160 Pages\u003c\/td\u003e\n        \u003c\/tr\u003e\n        \u003ctr\u003e\n          \u003cth style=\"border: 1px solid #ddd; padding: 10px; background-color: #f9f9f9; text-align: left;\"\u003eLanguage\u003c\/th\u003e\n          \u003ctd style=\"border: 1px solid #ddd; padding: 10px;\"\u003eEnglish\u003c\/td\u003e\n        \u003c\/tr\u003e\n        \u003ctr\u003e\n          \u003cth style=\"border: 1px solid #ddd; padding: 10px; background-color: #f9f9f9; text-align: left;\"\u003eISBN-13 \/ ISBN-10\u003c\/th\u003e\n          \u003ctd style=\"border: 1px solid #ddd; padding: 10px;\"\u003e9780760702178 \/ 0760702179\u003c\/td\u003e\n        \u003c\/tr\u003e\n        \u003ctr\u003e\n          \u003cth style=\"border: 1px solid #ddd; padding: 10px; background-color: #f9f9f9; text-align: left;\"\u003ePrimary Genre (BISAC)\u003c\/th\u003e\n          \u003ctd style=\"border: 1px solid #ddd; padding: 10px;\"\u003eSOC002000 \/ SOCIAL SCIENCE \/ Anthropology \/ Cultural \u0026amp; Social\u003c\/td\u003e\n        \u003c\/tr\u003e\n        \u003ctr\u003e\n          \u003cth style=\"border: 1px solid #ddd; padding: 10px; background-color: #f9f9f9; text-align: left;\"\u003eSub-Genres (BISAC)\u003c\/th\u003e\n          \u003ctd style=\"border: 1px solid #ddd; padding: 10px;\"\u003eHIS000000 \/ HISTORY; REF000000 \/ REFERENCE; OCC000000 \/ BODY, MIND \u0026amp; SPIRIT\u003c\/td\u003e\n        \u003c\/tr\u003e\n        \u003ctr\u003e\n          \u003cth style=\"border: 1px solid #ddd; padding: 10px; background-color: #f9f9f9; text-align: left;\"\u003eItem Condition\u003c\/th\u003e\n          \u003ctd style=\"border: 1px solid #ddd; padding: 10px;\"\u003ePre-Owned \/ Very Good\u003c\/td\u003e\n        \u003c\/tr\u003e\n        \u003ctr\u003e\n          \u003cth style=\"border: 1px solid #ddd; padding: 10px; background-color: #f9f9f9; text-align: left;\"\u003eDimensions \u0026amp; Weight\u003c\/th\u003e\n          \u003ctd style=\"border: 1px solid #ddd; padding: 10px;\"\u003e8.50 x 0.75 x 11.00 inches | 24.0 oz (approx. 1.50 lbs)\u003c\/td\u003e\n        \u003c\/tr\u003e\n      \u003c\/tbody\u003e\n    \u003c\/table\u003e\n  \u003c\/section\u003e\n\n  \u003csection style=\"margin-bottom: 30px;\"\u003e\n    \u003ch2 style=\"color: #2c3e50; font-size: 1.5em; border-bottom: 1px solid #eaeaea; padding-bottom: 5px;\"\u003eFrequently Asked Questions About Signs \u0026amp; Symbols\u003c\/h2\u003e\n    \n    \u003cdetails style=\"margin-bottom: 10px; border: 1px solid #eaeaea; padding: 10px; border-radius: 4px; background-color: #fcfcfc;\"\u003e\n      \u003csummary style=\"font-weight: bold; cursor: pointer; color: #2c3e50; outline: none;\"\u003eWhat is the central scope and thematic structure of Signs \u0026amp; Symbols by Clare Gibson?\u003c\/summary\u003e\n      \u003cp style=\"margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 0;\"\u003eSigns \u0026amp; Symbols provides a comprehensive visual and historical taxonomy of human iconography across civilization. Clare Gibson organizes the volume into six distinct thematic chapters examining the origins, cultural evolution, and psychological resonance of hundreds of symbols—ranging from ancient spiritual glyphs, astrological emblems, and sacred geometry to heraldry, folk traditions, and modern graphic iconography.\u003c\/p\u003e\n    \u003c\/details\u003e\n\n    \u003cdetails style=\"margin-bottom: 10px; border: 1px solid #eaeaea; padding: 10px; border-radius: 4px; background-color: #fcfcfc;\"\u003e\n      \u003csummary style=\"font-weight: bold; cursor: pointer; color: #2c3e50; outline: none;\"\u003eHow does the book trace the historical migration and shifting meanings of archetypal iconography?\u003c\/summary\u003e\n      \u003cp style=\"margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 0;\"\u003eThe text explores how fundamental visual motifs (such as the tree of life, the serpent, the solar disk, and geometric crosses) crossed geographic boundaries and adapted over millennia. Gibson demonstrates how political movements, major world religions, and esoteric traditions adopted, repurposed, and altered pre-existing cultural symbols to transmit hidden meanings, establish spiritual authority, or unify communities.\u003c\/p\u003e\n    \u003c\/details\u003e\n\n    \u003cdetails style=\"margin-bottom: 10px; border: 1px solid #eaeaea; padding: 10px; border-radius: 4px; background-color: #fcfcfc;\"\u003e\n      \u003csummary style=\"font-weight: bold; cursor: pointer; color: #2c3e50; outline: none;\"\u003eWhat visual and reference tools are featured in the text for researchers and art history students?\u003c\/summary\u003e\n      \u003cp style=\"margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 0;\"\u003eDesigned as an accessible yet detailed reference guide, the book integrates a rich array of color and monochrome illustrations alongside concise historical annotations. It features a comprehensively cross-referenced index that enables artists, iconography scholars, and historians to quickly identify specific motifs, cross-examine parallel cultural representations, and decode symbolic visual art.\u003c\/p\u003e\n    \u003c\/details\u003e\n\n    \u003cdetails style=\"margin-bottom: 10px; border: 1px solid #eaeaea; padding: 10px; border-radius: 4px; background-color: #fcfcfc;\"\u003e\n      \u003csummary style=\"font-weight: bold; cursor: pointer; color: #2c3e50; outline: none;\"\u003eHow is this volume utilized in artistic design, cultural anthropology, and symbology research?\u003c\/summary\u003e\n      \u003cp style=\"margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 0;\"\u003eThe guide is widely utilized by visual artists, graphic designers, writers, and cultural anthropologists seeking authentic historical context for visual motifs. It serves as a foundational desk reference for understanding how human societies have communicated complex ideological, spiritual, and philosophical concepts through visual shorthand across antiquity and into the modern era.\u003c\/p\u003e\n    \u003c\/details\u003e\n\n    \u003cdetails style=\"margin-bottom: 10px; border: 1px solid #eaeaea; padding: 10px; border-radius: 4px; background-color: #fcfcfc;\"\u003e\n      \u003csummary style=\"font-weight: bold; cursor: pointer; color: #2c3e50; outline: none;\"\u003eWhat unique background and authorial expertise define historian Clare Gibson?\u003c\/summary\u003e\n      \u003cp style=\"margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 0;\"\u003eClare Gibson was educated in history at King's College London and is a respected author and researcher specializing in mythology, historical symbolism, heraldry, and cultural history. Her extensive body of work—which includes authoritative studies on sacred motifs, goddess symbolism, and historic iconology—establishes her as a leading popular historian in visual symbology.\u003c\/p\u003e\n    \u003c\/details\u003e\n\n    \u003c!-- Bust-Down Disclaimer Condition Notice Card --\u003e\n    \u003cdetails style=\"margin-bottom: 10px; border: 1px solid #eaeaea; padding: 10px; border-radius: 4px; background-color: #f4f6f8; border-left: 3px solid #2c3e50;\"\u003e\n      \u003csummary style=\"font-weight: bold; cursor: pointer; color: #2c3e50; outline: none;\"\u003eCondition Notice: Pre-Owned \/ Second-Hand Product\u003c\/summary\u003e\n      \u003cp style=\"margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAll books, box sets, and multi-volume collections\u003c\/strong\u003e offered by Bust-Down Books are sold in pre-owned, used, and second-hand condition, unless explicitly designated as new in the individual product listing.\u003c\/p\u003e\n      \n      \u003cp style=\"margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 5px;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCondition Details \u0026amp; Grading:\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n      \u003cul style=\"padding-left: 20px; margin-bottom: 10px;\"\u003e\n        \u003cli style=\"margin-bottom: 6px;\"\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePrevious Ownership:\u003c\/strong\u003e These items have been previously owned, handled, and read. As such, copies may exhibit typical signs of shelf wear, including but not limited to minor creasing, scuffing, edge wear, bent page corners, remainder marks, or spine softening. Hardcover editions may show minor dust jacket wear, edge chipping, or board rubbing.\u003c\/li\u003e\n        \u003cli style=\"margin-bottom: 6px;\"\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eMarkings \u0026amp; Personalization:\u003c\/strong\u003e Items may occasionally contain inscriptions, library stamps, owner names, marginalia, or highlighting. Individual item descriptions reflect significant deviations from standard acceptable condition.\u003c\/li\u003e\n        \u003cli style=\"margin-bottom: 6px;\"\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eSupplemental Materials:\u003c\/strong\u003e Secondary and digital components—such as publisher access codes, CD-ROMs, bonus inserts, registration keys, or workbook activity pages—are not guaranteed to be included, active, or unredeemed unless specifically stated in the product description.\u003c\/li\u003e\n      \u003c\/ul\u003e\n\n      \u003cp style=\"margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 5px;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFirst Sale Doctrine \u0026amp; Non-Affiliation Statement:\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n      \u003cp style=\"margin-top: 5px; margin-bottom: 10px;\"\u003eAll items sold on this platform are original, lawfully acquired copies being resold under the protection of the First Sale Doctrine (codified under U.S. copyright law, 17 U.S.C. § 109, and applicable international equivalents permitting the secondary resale of lawfully manufactured goods).\u003c\/p\u003e\n      \u003cp style=\"margin-top: 5px; margin-bottom: 0;\"\u003eBust-Down Books, LTD. is an independent, secondary-market bookseller. We are not affiliated with, endorsed by, authorized by, or sponsored by the original authors, copyright holders, publishers, or trademark owners of the titles offered for sale. All registered trademarks, author names, book titles, and publisher imprints remain the sole property of their respective owners and are used strictly for nominative identification and descriptive purposes.\u003c\/p\u003e\n    \u003c\/details\u003e\n  \u003c\/section\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\n\u003cscript type=\"application\/ld+json\"\u003e\n{\n  \"@context\": \"https:\/\/schema.org\",\n  \"@graph\": [\n    {\n      \"@type\": [\"Product\", \"Book\"],\n      \"name\": \"Signs \u0026 Symbols: An Illustrated Guide to Their Meaning and Origins\",\n      \"author\": [\n        {\n          \"@type\": \"Person\",\n          \"name\": \"Clare Gibson\"\n        }\n      ],\n      \"isbn\": \"9780760702178\",\n      \"sameAs\": \"0760702179\",\n      \"bookFormat\": \"https:\/\/schema.org\/Hardcover\",\n      \"numberOfPages\": 160,\n      \"publisher\": {\n        \"@type\": \"Organization\",\n        \"name\": \"Barnes \u0026 Noble Books\"\n      },\n      \"datePublished\": \"1996\",\n      \"inLanguage\": \"en\",\n      \"image\": \"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0855\/2077\/7531\/files\/9780760702178.jpg?v=1793519232\",\n      \"url\": \"https:\/\/bustdownbooks.com\/products\/signs-symbols-an-illustrated-guide-clare-gibson-9780760702178\",\n      \"offers\": {\n        \"@type\": \"Offer\",\n        \"priceCurrency\": \"USD\",\n        \"price\": \"5.99\",\n        \"availability\": \"https:\/\/schema.org\/InStock\",\n        \"itemCondition\": \"https:\/\/schema.org\/UsedCondition\"\n      },\n      \"about\": [\n        {\n          \"@type\": \"Thing\",\n          \"name\": \"SOC002000 \/ SOCIAL SCIENCE \/ Anthropology \/ Cultural \u0026 Social\"\n        },\n        {\n          \"@type\": \"Thing\",\n          \"name\": \"HIS000000 \/ HISTORY \/ General\"\n        },\n        {\n          \"@type\": \"Thing\",\n          \"name\": \"REF000000 \/ REFERENCE \/ Handbooks \u0026 Manuals\"\n        },\n        {\n          \"@type\": \"Thing\",\n          \"name\": \"OCC000000 \/ BODY, MIND \u0026 SPIRIT \/ General\"\n        }\n      ]\n    },\n    {\n      \"@type\": \"FAQPage\",\n      \"mainEntity\": [\n        {\n          \"@type\": \"Question\",\n          \"name\": \"What is the central scope and thematic structure of Signs \u0026 Symbols by Clare Gibson?\",\n          \"acceptedAnswer\": {\n            \"@type\": \"Answer\",\n            \"text\": \"Signs \u0026 Symbols provides a comprehensive visual and historical taxonomy of human iconography across civilization. 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