Introduction

The introductory chapter highlights the centrality of form to all cultural artefacts. It argues that, whereas in the realm of practical appliances repetition and variation are at work in the service of measurable improvement, in the realm of the imagination, in literature and the arts, they are the central topic in and of themselves. And where repetition and variation are important ingredients, form will have a prominent role to play as it is the element of art and culture most easily transferrable across space and time. The chapter closes with remarks on the book’s rationale as well as some hints on how to use its multiple systems of cross-reference.