World Ornament Sourcebook (Racinet)

Page 1

THE WORLD

ORNAMENT SOURCEBOOK


41

i ndo-p ersian a rt

Polychrome painting. Continuous borders The motifs presented here are taken from the

It is not just variety in the palette that we can see:

same source as plates 39 and 40, and this plate,

the paintings themselves are bold and refined.

which shows borders, completes the series.

The backgrounds of some borders are painted

Borders were one of the main elements of

with indigo, and in India, where the light is very

Persian decorative art; as a rule they decorated

intense, indigo is usually combined with black

friezes and door or window lintels, and it was

and often replaces it. This helps the unity of the

rare for woven curtains to be made without an

decoration, and this unity was the fundamental

ornamental edge.

principle of the decorative system in India

This type of ornamentation, with its precise forms and magnificent compositions was very popular in Persian ceramic art, and occupied a fitting place in the diverse polychrome decoration of manuscript books. To complete its study we would like to make use of the rich source of 16th-century miniatures by showing very detailed fragments from them in the plate.

during the time of the Great Mughals. The motifs of the borders are assembled so skilfully that they fill the whole space with a continuous pattern: the interwoven tendrils of plants or swirling streams of smoke against a background of plant ornamentation (cf. plate 42).


I ndo - P ersian A rt

P late 41


61

a rabic a rt

Book decoration Rosette ornamentation The ornamental motifs on this plate show that

twisting lines that radiate out from one centre

in addition to the complete absence of pictures

(the rosette that forms the centre of the plate).

of living beings, since this was forbidden by

The combination of a stylised flower ornament

religion, another characteristic of Arabic art

with a linear ornament and the way that the

was the cogency of the geometrical structures.

former becomes an integral part of the latter is

We can find here typical features of Arabic

an indication of Persian influence.

ornamentation, such as the constantly


A rabic A rt

P late 61


138

r enaissance

Book miniatures and murals The works shown in this plate belong to the most remarkable period of the Italian

3–7 Book of antiphons (psalms and excerpts

Renaissance miniature. Giorgio Vasari speaks in

from the Sacred Scriptures or the Bible

the most rapturous terms about the Florentine

that were performed during a church

masters of this form of art: Stefano, Gherardo

service) from Florence. Miniatures by

and Attavante (or Vante) are the ones who stand

Attavante, 1526–1530;

out especially among the others.

1 Prayer book (for a requiem) that belonged to Pope Paul II. 1450;

2 Manuscript from the library of Matthias Corvinus with miniatures by Attavante or Gherardo. 1492;

8, 9 Missal (for daily use) with miniatures ascribed to Attavante di Gabriello; 10, 11 Manuscript with miniatures by Attavante from the library of the noble Barberini family, Rome; 12, 13 Details from decorative frescoes by Raphael in the Vatican. They may have been painted by his pupil Giovanni di Udino; 14, 15 Miniatures from a prayer book that belonged to Cardinal Cornari. Ascribed to Raphael; 16–19 Lives of the Dukes of Urbino. Vatican Library. Rome; 20–24 From a Book of Hours with a calendar dating from 1554. Terento Monastery.


r enaissance

P late 138


THE WORLD

ORNAMENT SOURCEBOOK Auguste Racinet

A

of decorative motifs from throughout the world ranging from Greek, Roman and Egyptian times to the early 19th century, this survey of ornament is unsurpassed both as a visual reference and an inspirational study of the aesthetics of different cultures and periods. With over 1500 decorative motifs derived from illuminated manuscripts, jewelry, tiles, weaponry, wall painting and other sources, The World Ornament Sourcebook is published here in its entirety as a single volume. n opulent resource

This is a book that every architect, interior designer, fashion designer, graphic designer or artist must have, it will also be invaluable to those interested in aesthetics and visual culture.

www.vivays-publishing.com ISBN 978-1-908126-26-9

9 781908 126269


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