Teeming with tapestries, manuscript illuminations, carpets, and tiles, this far-reaching compendium brings together the two greatest 19th-century catalogues of ornament into one indispensable reference book. Encompassing designs from medieval times through to the 19th century, in styles as diverse as Egyptian, Etruscan, or Middle Eastern, this...

Yet during the twentieth century, ornament was scorned (Adolf Loos famously called it "crime") and its study all but eliminated from art and architecture curricula. What happened - and must we live with the result? Is ornament dead?".

This amazing compilation of decorative motifs from around the world is unparalleled in its range of coverage with examples from early Greek, Roman and Egyptian designs through those of the 19th century. Geographically diverse, the book covers ornamentation from Asia and Africa as well as Europe and the Americas. Originally published in the 19th century in two volumes, this work by Auguste Racinet was an invaluable resource to artists, designers and architects when it was first published and continues to be so today. The period when Racinet's volumes were being published for the first time (1869 through 1887) saw a renewed interest in classicism and the decorative arts and Racinet's work was certainly influential. With 220 colour plates comprising over 1500 decorative motifs derived from illuminated manuscripts, jewellery, tiles, weaponry, wall painting and other sources, the book is not only inspirational, but also serves as both a visual reference of the motifs and an insight into the aesthetics of different cultures and periods. We are pleased to offer this opulent and beautifully colourful title in a combined single volume. A book that every graphic designer, architect, fashion designer or artist must have, it will also appeal to those interested in aesthetics and visual culture.

Classic sourcebook of spectacular design collages, all royalty-free, featuring over 1,500 decorative elements and motifs from major cultures in world history through the 19th century.

The decorative arts of the Middle Ages — richly ornate, filled with religious and mythic symbolism — were especially remarkable for the complexities of their design and their inspired craftsmanship. This fascinating volume presents nearly 1,000 illustrations of medieval ornament, consisting mostly of architectural elements from German Romanesque and Gothic churches and other buildings. Originally compiled by the German architect, painter, and engraver Karl Alexander von Heldeloff (1788–1865) as a source of study and inspiration for practicing artists and architects, this grand pictorial archive has been exactingly reproduced from a rare original edition, complete with new English translations of the German captions. The book is filled with precisely detailed engravings of doors, windows, decorative stonework, columns, pedestals, and more. It remains a richly varied resource of authentic images of medieval ornament, ideal for students of architecture and the decorative arts and essential for graphic artists and designers in search of royalty-free illustrations.