by Kasia Boddy
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Discover how flowers have shaped human culture across generations. This richly illustrated exploration traces the deep connections between botanical traditions and societies worldwide, revealing the symbolic meanings and cultural significance that flowers have held throughout history.
Blooming Flowers: A Seasonal History of Plants and People explores the place of flowers in every aspect of life, form perfume and poetry to children's names and politics.
The bright yellow of a marigold and the cheerful red of a geranium, the evocative fragrance of a lotus or a saffron-infused paella, there is no end of reasons to love flowers. Ranging through the centuries and across the globe, Kasia Boddy looks at the wealth of floral associations that has been passed down in perfumes, poems, and paintings; in the design of buildings, clothes, and jewellery; in songs, TV shows, and children’s names; and in nearly every religious, social, and political ritual.
Exploring the first daffodils of spring and the last chrysanthemums of autumn, this is also a book about seasons. In vibrant detail and drawing on a rich array of illustrations, Boddy considers how the sunflower, poppy, rose, lily, and many others, have given rise to meaning, value, and inspiration throughout history, and why they are integral to so many different cultures.
Author Kasia Boddy is Professor of American Literature at the University of Cambridge.
Paperback
Book contains 272 pages
Dimensions: 19.7 x 12.9 x 2.1 cm
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