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Lot description
JONES, Owen. The Grammar of Ornament. London, Day & Son 1856. First edition. Large thick folio measuring 38 x 56 cm., with an ornamental title page, preface and contents letterpress leaves, followed by 100 chromolithographic plates (each with sectional descriptive letterpress). One of the celebrated design folios of all time, with unsurpassed chromolithographic printing reproducing masterpieces of Classical, Egyptian, Medieval, Oriental, and Celtic design. Of special interest are the final plates, being the work of Owen Jones personally, all inspired by leaf and flower forms from the British countryside. Owen Jones was an accomplished London architect and designer, who had previously prepared two detailed monographs on the Andalusian palace complex at Alhambra (published in London, 1842-1845). Popular with interior designers creating orientalist interiors (then very much in vogue), the Alhambra monographs led directly to The Grammar of Ornament, first published in this sumptuous folio edition of 1856. Later reprinted in quarto format, subsequent editions lack the visual impact of this first edition. The Grammar of Ornament is a carefully curated collection of designs and patterns from across world cultures, from antiquity to relatively recent times. As the title suggests, Owen Jones sought to reveal the underlying principles of beauty that manifested in artistic creations across disparate time and space. The result is much more than a copy-book for interior designers, but an intelligent synthesis of style and form that reveals both similarity and harmony across cultural traditions with little or no direct contact. Such a project urged further generations of artists and philosophers to seek the unconscious motivations of universal forms. Each of the sections is prefaced by a short essay describing the culture and its arts; and throughout Owen Jones reiterates his central thesis that all beauty is derived from natural form. Accordingly, the final series of plates in the folio are nature studies prepared by the author, demonstrating the raw material for myriad design possibilities. Condition report: ex Library with stamps and markings. A few letterpress leaves were omitted when this volume was rebound, and a further few leaves of the text are torn and repaired. The plates are well preserved. Full condition report is available upon application.