Database

The first task of the Iconic Books Project has been to assemble a database of images and texts. We collect images and descriptions of the symbolic uses of books and other kinds of texts in religious and secular rituals, and in the visual arts.

At present, the database contains nearly 2000 images and accompanying documentation, and is organized into categories such as these:

• Manipulating books -- Religious
• Manipulating books -- Political
• Reading Scriptures
• Displaying Books
• Displaying Iconic Texts

 • Housing Books
• Covering Books
• Books Displayed Alone
• Ritual Texts
• Enthroned Books
• Divine Writing

• Books as Art: Binding, Contents, Form

• Books in Art:
  Ancient Art
Mezoamerican Art
Chinese Art
Hindu Art
Muslim Art
Buddhist Art
- Theravada
- Tibet
- China
- Japan
- Iconography
American Civic Art
Jewish Art
- Traditional
- 20th c.		 Christian Art
- 1-5 c.
- 6-10th c.
- 11-14th c.
- 15th c & later

Secular Western Art
- 15th c.
- 16th c.
- 17th c.
- 18th c.
- 19th c.
- 20th c.
  The Iconic Books Blog gathers information and images for the database from current news and web sources. It is the only portion of the database that is currently accessible to the public.

To suggest or contribute images to the Iconic Books database, please post a comment on the Iconic Books Blog or e-mail iconicbooks.