Ornament: A Social History Since 1450 - Hardcover

Snodin, Michael; Howard, Maurice

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0300064551 ISBN 13: 9780300064551

Publisher: Yale University Press, 1996

Synopsis

In a wide-ranging and richly illustrated book, the authors begin by tracing the ways ornament has been used over the last five centuries, the rules of decorum and etiquette associated with it, and the social, moral and spiritual values it has represented. They examine how architecture set the agenda for ornament in the Renaissance, and how printed images carried a common vocabulary of ornament throughout the Western world.
They survey the personal side of ornament, both in dress and in the domestic interior - a private expression of the self and a public statement of social and cultural status. They look at ornament in the public domain - from the lavish decoration and symbolism of a town pageant to the logos of today's corporate industry - and show how the ever-evolving role of ornament is to invent and embody the collective spirit of communities at work and at leisure. They conclude by discussing how the Western tradition of ornament has responded to and absorbed 'exotic' African and Asian motifs: Moresque motifs of the Near East and such familiar designs as the 'Paisley' and Willow" patterns.

About this title

About the Author

Michael Snodin is head of the Designs Collection at the Victoria and Albert Museum.

From Library Journal

Ornament is often unfairly dismissed as being superfluous embellishment. Yet if we examine the message conveyed by the choice and use of ornament, we can derive a great deal of information about the character of the owner of the house or object. Writing from England, where the meaning and use of ornament have been vigorously studied and debated, art historian Snodin and curator Howard have chosen to start their ramble through ornament at the year 1450, when printed images on paper began to circulate throughout Europe. The interchange of ideas and reworking of classical motifs is a theme the authors pursue over 300 years. Neither a dry history of style nor a dense philosophical treatise, this book is an amiable examination of ornamented jewelry, home furnishings, architecture, and dress. High points include the tattoos of King George V, the origins of paisley patterning, the correct proportions of columns, and triumphal arches constructed of chairs?all given social context that helps us understand the power of ornament as social message.?David McClelland, Philadelphia
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.

About this edition

• Publisher: Yale University Press
• Publication date: 1996
• ISBN 10: 0300064551
• ISBN 13: 9780300064551
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 232