Ornamental design 1850 Ornementale Kunst 1850 Motifs ornementaux 1850 Design ornementale 1850 El Diseno ornamental 1850 by Pepin Van Roojen soon to be presented for sale on the super BookLovers of Bath web site!
Published: Amsterdam: The Pepin Press, 1998, Paperback.
Illustrated by way of: Black & White Plates;
From the cover: The material presented in this book was originally published in the early 1870s, and representative of styles prevalent in the preceding decades. This was a period during which ornamental design became increasingly widespread, but, ironically, not a time during which many new designs were developed. Instead, the past was raided by architects, artists and craftsmen, and shapes and patterns that at one point in history may have had revered meanings, were copied, altered, combined or split to pieces, without much consideration for their original purpose. However, the result is a wealth of beautiful design. Practically every ornamental style known to early and mid-nineteenth century Europeans, from ancient Egyptian to Baroque, is represented here. The main items illustrated are ceramics, metalware, glass objects, furniture, carpets and other textiles, either complete, or in detail. There are also some architectural elements and examples of interior decoration.
Design inspired by ancient ancient Egypt displays the presence of stylised lotus flowers, motifs reminiscent of hieroglyphs, zig-zag patterns and spiralling constructions. Many examples of Greek ornamental design were copied from friezes on which mythical events were recorded. Very popular Greek ornaments are fret, spiral and bead borders, variations on the echinus (egg and dart), the acanthus and rosettes and palmettes. A principal characteristic of Greek design is the use of columns in architecture and interiors, topped with elaborate capitals. Very simply put, Roman adornment seems to have been largely an exuberant extension of the Greek visual vocabulary, with Etruscan elements added. Some of the mosaic designs in this book were clearly based on Pompeian originals. The so-called Byzantine school is a blending of styles: Greek, Roman, and early Christian ornaments, combined with elements from Persia and Syria. Byzantine ornamentation was one of the sources of Islamic decorative style, with elaborate geometrical patterns due to the interdiction of representations of living things. Illustrative of the Moorish style are the inter-woven formations based on Arabic calligraphy. The Gothic period contributed, among others, variations on the clover leaf: trefoils, quatrefoils and cinquefoils, but also the fleur-de-lis and the Tudor rose. During the Renaissance, the classical Greco-Roman models were rejuvenated and complemented with elements from the Near Orient. Especially in architecture, classical orders were followed. In ornamental design, freer patterns became fashionable. Of course, the Renaissance motifs used during the period covered by this book, were, again, often combined with other styles.
Very Good. Gently rubbed at the edges of the spine and wrappers with a small sticker ghost to the upper panel. Text block has a faint ripple throughout although the plates are well preserved. A good copy.
376 pages. 11″ x 8¾”.
Of course, if you don’t like this one, may I draw your attention to more books hither or maybe further, hand picked, books in my Design catalogue?
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