num_pages: 240
description: Finding the roots of trademarks in heraldry, potter's marks, monograms, and other such ancient devices, this book traces the history of the corporate visual lexicon and produces a taxonomy of the commercial age. An alphabetical section covers motifs from animals to waves, with short definitions and analyses beautifully complemented by daringly cropped and crisply photographed images. Pictures of this quality and interest would steal the show in most volumes, but the text stands up well to the challenge of images that gain force because of the familiarity of their subjects (corporate trademarks), and the unusual sense that the book's context lends to them. Marks of Excellence is a worthwhile exploration at the modern language of ownership.
language: English
title: Marks of Excellence: The History and Taxonomy of Trademarks
titlecomplete: Marks of Excellence: The History and Taxonomy of Trademarks
genres: Art, Reference, Design, Nonfiction, Art Design
ratings_count: 145
publisher: Phaidon Press