A wide-ranging and entirely fresh approach to the symbols resource volume, packed with hundreds of visual references old and new. Symbols- A Handbook for Seeing adopts an entirely new approach to the familiar symbols resource. Eschewing the traditional approach to the symbols compendium, which favors classical examples and psychological interpretations, Symbols draws on traditions both historical and contemporary, sacred and profane. The sources for these visual manifestations range from Greco-Roman art, fine art photography, ceramics, modern architecture, ancient coins, Soviet propaganda, textiles, and much, much more. The thematic sections-Natural, Animate, Human, Built, and Abstract-include dozens of entries packed with well over 700 witty and surprising visual examples by well-known artists and vernacular makers alike. A book that informs, but also inspires, Symbols is a new kind of symbols resource for today's artists and designers.