Gardens of the Gods: Myth, Magic and Meaning

Description

Cover ; Contents; List of Illustrations; Acknowledgements; Introduction; 1. The Symbolic Language of Gardens; 2. Balancing the Forces of Nature: Chinese and Japanese Gardens; 3. A Foretaste of Paradise: The Islamic Garden and its Forebears; 4. Gardens of Gods and Gardens of Saints: Pagan and Christian Motifs in European Gardens; 5. Ancient Mysteries Revived: The Renaissance Garden in Italy; 6. Rosicrucian Marvels and Recreations of Eden: Late Renaissance Gardens in Europe; 7. Theatres of Transformation: Symbolism in Baroque and Rococo Gardens.;Gardens of the Gods will appeal to anyone with an interest in sacred spaces and places. It reveals the religious and symbolic language of garden design, exploring the gardens of China with their moon gates and immortal rocks, the Zen gardens of Japan, the paradise gardens of Islam, those of Renaissance Italy with their richly mythological imagery, the landscaped parks of England, the gardens of New Harmony in the US and some striking modern examples of symbolic gardens, including the Tarot Garden of the sculptress Niki de Saint Phalle in Italy. This beautifully illustrated book also includes a.