Historic Ornament

Book excerpt: The 900 illustrations in this book comprise a vast collection of decorative motifs ranging in origin from the ancient world to the West on the verge of the industrial age. The designs and motifs assembled here come from metalwork, architectural reliefs, bookbinding, statuary, inlay work, tile design, fabric and furniture design and other sources. They show how these various ideas were carried out and changed over history; they also furnish an extraordinary sourcebook for contemporary designers and commercial artists. Beginning with Egyptian capitals and friezes, pottery designs and architectural ornaments of ancient Greece, this volume surveys the precursors and all major styles of European design through the 18th century, with great attention to national differences in style as these emerged and flourished. Dozens of overall designs and borders are included along with full illustrations of gates and latches, chalices, chairs, utensils, grillwork, sculpture, wall panels and ceilings, bowls, keys, candlesticks, and fountains rendered in floral patterns, geometrics, scrollwork, bacchanals, religious and heraldic symbols, with real and fantastic beasts, lattices and more. The original captions have been translated into English for this edition. While there are several other books that are roughly comparable as compendiums of historical ornament, this work offers perhaps the best renderings, both for historical accuracy and sharpness and clarity of technique. Students of the history of architecture and design will find here a valuable survey and reference for their work. Commercial artists, advertisers, illustrators, decorators, and craftsmen will find both numerous design ideas to take off from and hundreds of items to take whole -- classical columns, Italian Renaissance lion's heads and fountains -- for use in graphics assignments and any number of designs. - Back cover.