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THE WORLDORNAMENT
SOURCEBOOK
41 indo-persian art
Polychrome painting. Continuous borders
The motifs presented here are taken from the
same source as plates 39 and 40, and this plate,
which shows borders, completes the series.
Borders were one of the main elements of
Persian decorative art; as a rule they decorated
friezes and door or window lintels, and it was
rare for woven curtains to be made without an
ornamental edge.
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.
It is not just variety in the palette that we can see:
the paintings themselves are bold and refined.
The backgrounds of some borders are painted
with indigo, and in India, where the light is very
intense, indigo is usually combined with black
and often replaces it. This helps the unity of the
decoration, and this unity was the fundamental
principle of the decorative system in India
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).
Indo-Persian Art Plate 41
61 arabic art
Book decoration
Rosette ornamentation
The ornamental motifs on this plate show that
in addition to the complete absence of pictures
of living beings, since this was forbidden by
religion, another characteristic of Arabic art
was the cogency of the geometrical structures.
We can find here typical features of Arabic
ornamentation, such as the constantly
twisting lines that radiate out from one centre
(the rosette that forms the centre of the plate).
The combination of a stylised flower ornament
with a linear ornament and the way that the
former becomes an integral part of the latter is
an indication of Persian influence.
Arabic Art Plate 61
138 renaissance
Book miniatures and murals
The works shown in this plate belong to
the most remarkable period of the Italian
Renaissance miniature. Giorgio Vasari speaks in
the most rapturous terms about the Florentine
masters of this form of art: Stefano, Gherardo
and Attavante (or Vante) are the ones who stand
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;
3–7 Book of antiphons (psalms and excerpts
from the Sacred Scriptures or the Bible
that were performed during a church
service) from Florence. Miniatures by
Attavante, 1526–1530;
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.
Renaissance Plate 138
ISBN 978-1-908126-26-9
9626218091879
www.vivays-publishing.com
THE WORLDORNAMENT
SOURCEBOOK Auguste Racinet
An opulent resource 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.
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.
Recommended