The Grammar of Ornament : Illustrated By Examples from Various Styles of Ornament.

Jones, Owen.

ISBN 10: 0789476460 / ISBN 13: 9780789476463

Published by NY: DK Books, 2001., 2001

About this Item

1st printing of the American edition. 504pp, (5.5 x 6.5 inches), color and b&w illustrations, index. Near Fine condition in illustrated wrappers (soft cover) with French fold flaps. Crisp, clean and bright, no spine creasing, no other creases. Spine straight, no bumps or tears, no markings. "A unique collection of more than 2350 classic patterns." Ornaments of savage tribes (sic), Egyptian, Persian, Greek, Pompeian, Roman, Byzantine, Arabian, Turkish, the Alhambra, Hindoo (sic), Chinese, Celtic, Mediaeval, Renaisance, Elizabethan, Italian, & leaves and flowers from nature. Seller Inventory # 26288

Bibliographic Details

Title: The Grammar of Ornament : Illustrated By ...

Publisher: NY: DK Books, 2001.

Publication Date: 2001

Binding: Soft cover

Edition: 1st Edition

About this title

Synopsis:

An excellent resource for artists, designers, architects, craftspeople, or anyone interested in the decorative arts. First published in 1856, The Grammar of Ornament remains a design classic. Its inspiration came from the pioneering architect and designer Owen Jones. His observations of decorative art on his extensive travels in Europe and the Near East were employed to improve the poor quality of Western design. His goal was to change the Victorian habit of mixing elements from a wide variety of sources and applying this mix indiscriminately to buildings, graphic design, and products. His resulting study is a comprehensive analysis of a remarkable collection of styles of ornamental design -- from Ancient Egypt and Greece to Imperial China and Renaissance Italy. With its sumptuous illustrations, its detailed survey of individual cultures, and its manifesto of "General Principles," it offered guidance to the designers of the future. In this new edition the designs are further illuminated by Iain Zaczek's perceptive commentaries. Hugely influential since its first publication, The Grammar of Ornament inspired great figures such as William Morris and Frank Lloyd Wright. Contemporary designers, entertained by the archaic charm of Jones's descriptions, are struck by the book's enduring relevance and its soundness regarding the essential principles of good design.

From the Publisher:

Imaged from the Cary Collection of the Rochester Institute of Technology