| A boxed set of four books in an edition limited to 15 showcases 80 photographs by Cy DeCosse. Each element is explored photographically in unique and dynamic ways.
The images are exquisitely printed on Japanese Gampi paper, then tipped in on archival paper and bound by hand. The elegant binding features Japanese book cloth with handmade Italian end papers and gold stamping.
Each title contains a history of the Greek gods who were associated with each element and explains the historical and psychological significance of the elements, showing how they have influenced Western thought down through the ages. |
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The History of the Four Elements To the ancient Greeks, the four elements described not only physical manifestations of the material world but essential qualities of human nature.
For instance, air was not only the air we breathe and the atmosphere, but signified the mind, intelligence, inspiration. Fire meant the sun and the flame, but also creative passion and destructive zeal. The earth, solid and substantial, was associated with the physical and sensual aspects of life. Water, flowing and ever-changing, denoted emotion and empathy.
This broader understanding of the elements has been influential in Western thought down through the ages.
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