Handbook of Ornament

561 Pages·1957·36.73 MB·English

by  Franz Sales Meyer

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HANDBOOK
A
ORNAMENT
OF
WITH THREE HUNDRED PLATES, CONTAINING
ABOUT THREE THOUSAND ILLUSTRATIONS OF
THE ELEMENTS, AND THE APPLICATION OF
DECORATION TO OBJECTS
By Franz Sales ^Ieyer
Professor at the School op" Applied Art
Karlsruhe
First American Edition
The Architectural Book Publishing Company
Paul Wenzel an-d Maurice Krako^v
Thirty-one East Twelfth Street, New York
iNTRODUCTIOiN.
[The term "ORNA^fENT", in its limited sense, includes sncTi of
the Elements ofDecoratiou as are adapted, or developed, from Natural
Foliage. These differ from the Geometrical elements, inasmuch as
they are organic i. e. possessing stems, leaves, flowers, &c., while the
latter are inorganic. —
\Vhen merely drawn on paper, &c., and unapplied a foliated
element is considered —in the abstract as "Ornament". When applied
to beautify an object it becomes an "Element of Decoration".
The term "DECORATION" signifies the art or process ofapplying
the various Elements to beautify Objects. It is also used to denote
the completed result. Thus the artist, who is occupied in the "deco-
ration" of a vase, may represent ornament upon it; and the ornament
is then the "Decoration" of the vase.
The "Elements" ofDecoration are: Geometrical-lines, Ornament,
Natural-foliage, Artificial Objects, Animals, and the Human Figure.
These may be considered as the "ingredients"; and they are mixed,
and applied, on various arrangements or "Features", according to certain
acknowledged "recipes" which are termed "Principles".
The "Principles" of Decoration are not included in this Hand-
book, as the limits of it allow only a brief notice of such Elements
as have been in general use during the successive Historic-epochs.]
Wherever the hand of man has produced any Decoration, be it
INTRODUCTION.
II
original Invention, or only the arbitrary Variation of some familiar
fundamental idea, the following will invariably be the case:
(a) The decoration is produced by arranging and joining Dots
and Lines, or by combining and dividing Geometrical Figures, in
accordance with the laws of rhythm, regularity, symmetry, &c.;
(b) It arises from the attempt of the decorator to represent the
Objects of the external world. Nearest at hand for imitation, is or-
ganic Nature with the Plants, Animals, and Human form. But in-
organic Nature also offers models: e. g. the forms of Crystallisation
(snow-flakes), and the Phenomena ofnature (clouds, waves, &c.). Rich
sources are also opened-up by the Artificial Objects which are fashioned
by man himself.
It is obvious that all kinds of Elements may De used in com-
bination: Geometrical may be united with Natural forms; and so on.
Moreover it was easy for human imagination to combine details taken
from nature into monstrous forms not found in nature, e. g. the
Sphinx, Centaur, Mermaid, &c.; and Animal and Human bodies
with plant-like terminations.
If we collect, into groups, the bases or motives of decoration
omitting what is non-essential and detached, we arrive at the classi-
fication given in the following pages.
Decoration is applied to countless objects; and the style may be
very varied without being arbitrary; being determined, firstly, by the
aim and the material of the object to be decorated, and, secondly, by
the ideas ruling at different periods and among different nations. It
is therefore obvious that it has a comprehensive and important domain.
A knowledge ofit is indispensable to artists; and it is an instructive and
sociologically interesting factor of general culture.
The peculiarities which arise from the reciprocal relation of
material, form, and aim, more or less modified by the ideas of the
Age and the natural characteristics of the Nation, are termed the
"Style" of that Period and Nation. The mention, of the Century and
the Nation, gives a convenient meth—od of labelling works of Art,
which is now well understood; e. g. "17th century, Italian".
The majority of works on ornament, arrange their material
according to Periods and Nations; but the present Handbook, follow-
ing the principles laid down by Semfjer, Botticher and Jacobsthal, is
based on a system which is synthetic rather than analytic; and in-
tended more to construct and develope from the Elements than to
dissect and deduce. It contains three main divisions:
Division I treats of the "Elements ofDecoration", or motives of
which it is formed. Geometrical motives formed by the rhythmital
arrangement of dots and lines, by the regular section of angles, by
the formation and division Of closed figures, are followed by the
forms of Nature which are offered for ornamental imitation by the
INTRODUCTION. Ill
vegetable and animal kingdoms, and by the human frame. These in
their turn are followed by Artificial Objects, or forms borrowed from
Art, Technology, and Science, and usually met-with in the class of
trophies, symbols, &c.
Division II, "Ornament applied to Features", arranges them
according to their functions, and the reciprocal relation between the
construction of the object and the application of the ornament. The
division falls into five sub-divisions: A. Bands (bordering, framing
and connecting forms); B. Free Ornaments (forms whose construction
expresses a termination or cessation); C. Supports (types of ornament
which express the principle of weight-bearing); D. Enclosed Ornament
suitable for the enlivenment of a defined bordered field, (panels);
• E. Repeating Ornament (the decoration of surfaces which, disregarding
the limits of space, are developed, on a geometrical or organic basis,
into "patterns").
Division III, shows the application of decoration to vase-form,
metal objects, furniture, frames, jewelry, heraldry and writing,
printing, &c.
Further details, as to the groups and divisions, will be found in
the "Table of the Arrangement of the Handbook" which follows this
introduction.
The illustrations, numbering almost 3,000, and comprised on 300
full-page plates, represent the styles of the most various periods and
nations. A comparatively large share of attention has been devoted
to the Antique, because it is in that Period that form usually finds
its clearest and most beautiful expression. Next to that in impor-
tance is the Renascence with its wealth and freedom of form. The
space, devoted to the creations of the Middle Ages, is more limited.
From the styles of the Decadence, only a few examples have been
admitted, for the sake of comparison and characterisation. Modem
times, as a rule, have only been taken into account, where forms arose
which do not occur in the historic styles.
The i—llustrations have been partly —taken direct from the originals;
and partly as was almost unavoidable reproduced from otherBooks;
for the leading idea of the present work is not to ofi"er anything"fiew,
but to arrange what is already known, in a manner suitable both to
the subject and to the aim of a Handbook. Where the author was
acquainted with the source, which he regrets was not always the
case, the authority has been mentioned in the text.
Each division and sub-division is prefixed by a" few remarks on
style and history, characteristics, motives, symbolism, aim, and appli-
cation. These are followed, so far as is necessary and practicable,
by notes on the places where the objects illustrated were discovered,
where they are now preserved, and on their material and size. Hints
IV UNTROOUCTION.
as to construction, are given only where the construction cannot at
once be inferred from the figure.
Readers who use this book for purposes of tuition, will find in
the Author's "Ornamentale Formenlehre"* the Plates on a scale of
2^/2 times the size of this Handbook, together with the requisite hints
for the use of the work in schools.
• Franz Sales Meyer: Ornamentale Formenlehre; Three hundred folio
plates, in a portfolio.
TABLE
SHOWINGTHE ARRANGEMENTOFTHECHAPTERS ANDPLATES.
DIVISION
I.
Thk Elements of Decoratiox.
A. Geometrical Elements. 35. Various Leaves.
1. Network. 36-37. Various Flowers.
2-4. Band Motives. 38-39. The Fruit Festoon.
5-7. Diaper Patterns. 40. The Leaf, and FlowerFestoon.
8. The Sector,Polygon, and Star. b. Animal Organisms (TheFaunaof
9-10. TheSquare,anditsSubdivision. Ornament).
11. The Octagon, and its Sub- 41-44. The Lion.
12. TdihveisiTorni.angle, Hexagon, &c., 4457--4468.. TThhee LGriiofnfinH,ea&dc..
13-16. Tahnde thOebilronSgu,bdivainsdion.its Sub- 49-5501. TThhee PHaonrtsheerHeHaeda.d,&c.ka.
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Intersections. 60. The Serpent, &c.
19. Gothic Tracery.
20. TheEllipse,anditsSubdivision. c. Human Organism.
B. Natural Forms. 61. The Mask.
a. TFlhoeraOorfgaOnrinsammsento)f.Plants (The 62-6645.. TThhee GMreodtutseasquHoeaMda.sk.
66. The Grottesque.
21. The Akanthos Leaf. 67-68. The Half-Figure.
22-23. The Artificial Leaf. 69. The Sphinx, and Centaur.
24-26. Artificial Foliage. 70. The Cherub-Head, &c.
27-28. The Laurel, and Olive.
29-30. The Vine. C. Artificial Objects.
31. TheLotus, Papyrus,andPalm. 71-72. The Trophy.
32. The Ivy. 73-77. The SymboL
33. The Com, and Convolvulus. 78-79. The Ribbon.
34. The Hop, and Bryony. 80. Miscellaneous Objects.
VI TABLE.
DIVISION
II.
Ornaaient applied to Features.
A. Bayids. 125. The Decorated Shaft
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94-96. The Undulate Band.
9987.. TThhee EvEonlruitce-hSmpeinrtal Bofand.the 111343809... TTThhheee BTPaaelrraamupisenttue.sr..
99. TAhsterEangrail.chmentoftheTorus. 114412.. TThhee RFauirlniintgurePosLte.g.
100. TheEnrichmentoftheCynia. 143-144. The Trapezophoron.
and the Ovolo. 145-147. The Console.
B. Free Ommnents. 148. The Bracket.
149-150. The Caryatid, Atlante, &c.
101-103. The Link Border.
104. The Cresting Border. D. Enclosed Ornaments, or Panels.
105-106. The Akeroter, and Antefix.
107. The Stele Crest. 151-155. The Square Panel.
108. The Perforated Cresting. 156. The Star-shape Panel.
109-110. The Cross. 157-160. The Circular Panel.
111-112. The Finial. 161-164. The Oblong Panel.
113. The Finial-Knob, and Vase. 165. The Elliptic Panel,
114. The Pendant-Knob. 166-167, The Lunette, and Spr.nrail
115. The Rosette. Panel.
116. The Crocket, and Gargoyle. 168. The Lozenge Panel.
117. The Hinge, &c. 169-170. Various Panels.
118. The Tassel. E. Repeating Ornaments, or Diapers.
119. The Fringe, and Valence.
120. The Lace Border. 171. The Square Diaper, &c.
172. The Circle Diaper, &c.
C. Supports. 173. The Scale Diaper, &c.
121. The Foliated Shaft. 174-175. The Circle Diaper, &c.
122. The Fluted Shaft. 176-179. Various Diapers.
123-124. The Base. 180. Various Grill Diapers.
DIVISION
III.
Decorated Objects.
A. Vases, &c. 186. TheAmpulla,Alabastron,&c.
181. Fundamental Vase-Forms, 187. The Flower-Vase, &c.
a. Holders. 188. Vase forms for varions
182. The Amphora purposes.
183. The Urn. 189. The Jar, and Cist.
184. The Krater. 190. The Font, and Holy-Water
185. The Basin, and Dish. Stoup.
TABLK. Vll
b. Dippers. 2.32. The Knife, and Fork,
lyi. The Hvdiia. 233. The Paper-Knife.
192. The Bucket, &c. 234. The Scissors.
193. The Spoon, and Ladle. 235. The Hand-Bell.
c. Pourers. e. Various Domestic Utensils, &c,
19-i. The Prochous, Oinochoe, 23G. The Door-Knocker.
Olpe, &€. 237. The Kev.
195. The Lekythus. 238. The Hand-Mirror.
196-197. The Lip-spout Pitcher. 239. The Fan.
198. The Pipe-spout Pot. 240. Various Tools.
109-200. The Bottle.
C. Furniture.
d. Drinking Vessels.
a. Seats.
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220078.. VTahreioMuusg.Drinking Vessels. 250. The Sofa, and Couch.
209. The Tankard. b. Tables.
210. Modern Drinkitig Glasses. 251. The Table
252. The Writing-Table.
B. Metal Objects.
a. Utensils for Illumination. c. Cabinets.
211-212. The Candelabrum. 253. The Cabinet.
214-222111563... TTThhheee ACHanantnddil-qeCusaetnidcLlka.emspt.ick 222555456... TTThhheee SHCihaednsegtbi.onagr-dC.abinet.
217. The Candle-Bracket. d. Miscellaneous.
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Cabinet.
b. Religious Utensils. 259-260. The Bedstead, and Cradle.
221. The Altar.
222. The Tripod. D. Frames, &c.
223. The Censer. 261-262. The Architectural Frame.
224. The CruciGx. 263-264. The Mirror-Frame. &c.
225. The Crozier. and Mon- 265-266. The Strap-work Frame.
strance. 267-268. The Typographical Frame.
C. UWteeanpsiolnss.of War and Hunting; 226790.. TThhee SSttrraapp--wwoorrkkBToarbdleert,.and
Margin.
226. The Shield.
227. The Helmet.
E. Jewelry.
228. TheSword.anditsScabbard.
229. The Dagger and its Scab- 271. The Pin.
bard. 272. The Button.
230. The Halberd, &c. 273. The Ring.
274. The Chain.
d. Table Utensils. 275. The Necklace.
231. The Spoon. 276. The Bracelet.
VIII TABLE.
277. The Girdle, Buckle, and 289. Crowns. Coronets, &c.
Clasp. 290 Heraldic Accessories.
278. The Pendant.
279. The Ear-ring. G. Writing, Printing, <Sx.
280. Miscellaneous Jewelry.
291. Romanesque Letters.
J^. Heraldry. 292-229934.. GOoltdhiEcngUlnicsihalLetLteetrtse,rs.&c.
281. Tinctures, andDivisions, of 295. Old German Letters.
the Shield. 296. Modem Texts.
282. Shapes of the Shield. 297. Renaissance Letters.
283. Ordinaries. 298. Roman Initials.
2S4-285. Charges. 299. Roman Letters.
286. Forms of the Helmet. 300. ConstructionB, Numerals,
2S7-288. Helmet Trappings. Monograms.