Muse of a Thousand Faces

Author: Ye Shuxian
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2004-08-01
Features: The goddess culture is a truly ancient cultural tradition. It transcends race, language, and national boundaries, and is older than all patriarchal civilizations—those familiar to us and in which we live. As early as the Stone Age tens of thousands of years ago, it emerged among prehistoric communities worldwide. The establishment of patriarchy eventually suppressed its growth, leaving various goddesses preserved in pantheons dominated by male deities, known as the spouses, sisters, or sexual partners of male gods. Despite the exclusion and oppression of male-centric cultures, the profound tradition and infinite charm of the goddess persist in the collective unconscious of many ethnic groups, exerting a powerful influence and summons on writers, poets, and artists, becoming an eternal theme in the history of literature and art. This book breaks through the boundaries of Eastern and Western cultures as well as the divides of ancient and modern times, presenting the diverse manifestations of goddess culture from as many perspectives as possible: her expressions and innovations in artistic traditions; how she inspires countless artists' genius and sparks imaginative creativity in the elevation and transformation of female beauty; from ancient temple sculptures to modern postmodern advertising designs and computer-generated creative concepts, the ideas are endless and the scenes are brilliant. In terms of structure, to accommodate readers of varying cultural backgrounds, the book begins with five introductory questions as an accessible overview, followed by a preface for specialists that summarizes the general knowledge of goddess culture, as well as related mythological and comparative religious principles, particularly the new developments and representative achievements in goddess studies since the 20th century. The main body of the book consists of 10 themes showcasing the imagery of the goddess. These themes are: The Evolution of the Goddess; The Transformations of the Mother Goddess; Angels and (Flying Apsaras); The Symbols of the Goddess; The Frog Goddess and Nüwa; Mermaid Legends; The Enchantress Serpent; The Sphinx Then and Now; The Love and Beauty Goddesses; From the Flower Goddess to the Flower Demon. The book is richly illustrated with images from ancient and modern times. The selection of illustrations aims for beauty, novelty, and visual impact. The text is concise yet insightful, philosophical in nature. We hope this atlas will be beneficial for humanities scholars, students, history and literature enthusiasts, art workers, graphic designers, fashion designers, and photography enthusiasts.