This one’s for all keen surface and graphic designers!
The book is a re-release of a two volume set first published in 1888 in Paris by August Racinet, and is principally aimed at artists and designers for use as a reference book. It contains a pretty good overview of the major stylistic periods in Europe up to the early 19th century, as well as some examples from Egyptian, Moorish, Indian and Asian cultures.
While it is a scholarly work, it suffers badly from Euro-centricity, and is rather patronising in making reference to ornamental styles from Oceania, Africa, and South America as ‘Primitive’ (not to mention that only a VERY few examples are given from each area, and that they are all lumped together on the one page…). But then it WAS written in the late 19th C, and Europeans tended to be Euro-centric and patronising. {Really.}
The book starts with an introductory text outlining the various styles presented. The language is not only a bit academic, but the grammar also leaves something to be desired (perhaps a by-product of its translation from the original French text). But when you get to the good bit (oh it’s the pictures, of course!), the illustrations are clear, with good colour. At each spread, one page is filled with full-colour examples of ornament, and the facing page gives descriptions of sources, and includes information about what medium they were originally presented on, such as tableware, painted wall decorations, or tiles.
Oh yes, the good stuff is good – 220 full-colour plates of good. Plenty of fodder to keep my imagination happy for quite a long time, and a great thing to dip back into again and again.
Definitely recommended, despite its shortcomings. Because one never has just one reference book in one’s library. I’m pretty sure.