This well-known book was prepared more than 75 years ago by two British architects, and its reputation has grown steadily since. The Audsleys' clear rendering of ornaments and designs from a wide variety of sources and national traditions, their excellent sense of space and proportion, and their straightforward execution of these ornaments in line have made the collection among the most valuable of its kind. The 60 plates contain over 250 large-scale line drawings, mostly executed by the authors. The designs and patterns shown are derived from architectural decorative motifs, textile designs, patterns from ceramics and tiles, and more from Egypt, Greece, Italy, Japan, Persia, Medieval Europe, and other places. A brief text specifies sources for many of the designs, and captions identify national origin and often the original color scheme.

DIVThe 19th-century French illustrator's classic reference to the decorative ornament of history's major cultures; over 2,000 royalty-free motifs in 100 beautiful full-color plates. /div

This well-known book was prepared a century ago by two British architects, and its reputation has grown steadily since. The Audsleys' rendering of designs from a wide variety of sources are national traditions, and their excellent sense of space and proportion and their straightforward interpretations of these ornaments have made this collection among the most valuable of its kind. The 60 plates contain over 250 large-scale line drawings, mostly executed by the authors. The designs and patterns shown are derived from architectural decorative motifs, textile designs, patterns from ceramics, etc. A brief text specifies sources for many of the designs, and captions identify national origin and often the original color schemes. The illustrations include ancient Egyptian patterns from painted tomb ceilings, borders from Greek vases, Celtic designs, Japanese ornaments, Moorish decorations, eleventh-century Italian textile designs, and architectural elements from the cathedral of Notre-Dame and other buildings. This partial list of contents gives an idea of the many styles of design reproduced in the book, and the applications to which the designs can be put. Commercial artists, architects, crafters, designers, scene designers, and others will find these pages a rich source of decorative designs.

Graphic artists, illustrators, and craftspeople will welcome this treasury of beautifully engraved ornate frames, scrollwork, and other highly decorative designs — 800 in all — reproduced from an extremely rare mid-19th-century style book. Comprising 142 plates, the volume features a lavish assortment of ornaments, bedecked with flowers, mythological creatures, and other fanciful touches, all beautifully rendered in meticulous detail. Other striking designs incorporate a rich selection of classical columns, plus heraldic designs — shields, coats-of-arms, seals, and insignias from Austria, Russia, Denmark, France, and many other countries — for a touch of medieval flair or aristocratic ambience. In addition, this collection offers a variety of charming calligraphic alphabets in styles ranging from plain to majestic. An invaluable source of inspiration and a treasury of designs for permission-free use, these distinctive images are ideal for enhancing such print projects as ads, brochures, newsletters, posters, signs, catalog copy, and much more.

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.

A richly illustrated sourcebook of two-dimensional pattern and three-dimensional ornamentation, for designers everywhere and anyone interested in visual culture. This richly illustrated, easy-to-navigate sourcebook of surface pattern and three-dimensional ornamentation presents more than one thousand historic and contemporary examples from around the world, each one succinctly identified and explained. Arranged thematically, it is unique among pattern books, as it includes examples not only of surface pattern but also three-dimensional ornamentation and embellishment, from Japanese kimono and William Morris fabrics to Chinese porcelain and contemporary furniture. Creatives working today are as fascinated and inspired by pattern and ornament as they have always been and this expertly compiled selection will appeal to designers, artists, and illustrators from all disciplines as well as anyone interested in visual and material culture.