World of Ornament. 2 vols. Taschen

A compendium of history's most elegant and beautiful patterns and ornamental designs at your fingertips-for perusal or download anytime, in high-resolution format. The World of Ornament brings together the two greatest encyclopedic collections of ornament of the 19th century: Racinet's L'Ornement polychrome Volumes I and II (1875-1888) and Dupont-Auberville's L'Ornement des tissus (1877). Adapted from historical items dating from antiquity, including jewelry, tiles, stained glass, illuminated manuscripts, textiles and ceramics, these ornamental designs encompass a wide range of cultural and esthetic motifs and patterns - including classical Egyptian, Greek, Roman, Etruscan, Asian and middle-Eastern, as well as European designs from medieval times through the 19th century. Artists, historians, and art lovers will appreciate this lavish source and idea book, and interior designers and patternmakers will be delighted that all of the ornamental designs may be used and reproduced without restriction! Includes exclusive access to image database: high-resolution images of all individual ornaments downloadable for unrestricted use!