[Dual images were spliced together; all were modestly background cleaned; click through to large versions and very large images are also available.]
'Turnierbuch und Familienchronik' [BSB Cgm 1930] by Marx Walther (1506-1511) is available from the Bavarian State Library. [via Archimuse or W4RF or Archivalia]
Wikisource has background on Marx Walther but the translation is mostly gobbledegook.
Previously: festival.
Sunday, June 07, 2009
Turnierbuch
Friday, June 05, 2009
The Treasury of Ornament 2
Persian-Arabian Wainscot in Glazed Clay
From the 16th century Mosque of Ibrahim Aga at Cairo "exemplifying a mixture of the Persian and Arabian styles, inasmuch as the predominance of vegetable ornamentation directly points to Persian influence".
Arabian Ornaments in Wood and Metal
Surrounding an escutcheon rendered in bronze are door panels and window screening lattices in wood and bronze door fittings
Arabian Illumination of Manuscripts
"Arabian artists show special skill in surface decoration. Scroll work, rigidly idealised, alternates with geometrical figures, or else the arabesque ornament fills the compartments formed by the lines and bands. In this manner whole pages are painted in many Koran manuscripts. [..] The writing itself is in most cases bordered and surrounded with rosettes and friezes, which are filled in with ever new combinations of lines and foliage."
Arabian-Moresque Architectonic Ornaments
Pinnacles, panels, decoration, stalactites and corbels from the Alhambra in Spain and Cairo. "The columns at first followed Egyptian and Byzantine examples or were, in fact, composed of parts of Greek or Roman columns; later on however (since about the 12th century) they were formed in a style of their own, the capital consisting mainly of a cube decorated with foliage and scroll work."
Arabian-Moresque Mosaic Work and Glazed Clay Work
Clay and marble wainscottings from the Alhambra, Cairo and Damasacus. "Arabian and Moorish mosaics are made partly of small pieces of coloured marble, partly of small clay plates, painted and glazed. Sometimes the designs are cut into the marble plates and the deepenings filled with coloured cement (stucco)."
Moresque Architectonic Ornaments
(all details from the Alhambra) "Spain is the country, where the Islamitic art found its purest and most beautiful development in the buildings of the Moorish kings, for instance, in the palace of the Alhambra near Granada (13th and 14th century). Especially with the Moors, Mahomaden ornamentation reached its culminating point. [..] The characteristics of Arabian ornamentation are identical with the Moorish, but it may be added, that the former is neither so happy in the distribution of the ornament over the surface, nor so varied as the latter. The Moorish artists knew how to produce wonderful effects by artfully interlacing and twisting the geometrical patterns and arabesque ornaments; for here they could give full play, so to speak, to their richly gifted imagination."
Turkish Architectonic Ornaments in Glazed Clay
From Mosques and tombs at Brussa and Mouradieh. The Turkish-specific system of ornamentation really began in the 15th century, derived at first from Byzantine and later, Persian and Arabian styles. Scroll work often leaves comparatively large areas of uncovered background and artists employed ingenious interlacements of several systems of lines. The author talks about the abundance of the "re-entering angle" seen in leaves and scrolls.
Celtic Illumination of Manuscripts
Pattern examples from the 7th to 11th centuries. "Among the Celtic populations of Ireland there was already in very early times an original style of ornament developed, the commencement of which no doubt goes far back to the days when heathenism still prevailed in that island. [..] For Celtic interlacing work, either filling up the spare surfaces of the letters or bordering the separate pages, the limbs or bodies of snakes, birds, dogs and fantastical animals were employed. Occasionally the human figure occurs, whereas the vegetable ornament is wholly wanting. Its introduction first dates from the 9th century, and after weak commencements, it spreads more and more, next the ribbon ornament, under the influence of the Romanesque style."
Byzantine Glass-Mosaic, Coloured Enamel and Illumination
Details from Ravenna, Venice, Constantinople, Comburg and manuscript details from repositories in St Petersburg and Moscow.
Byzantine Weaving and Embroidery
"Sicilian articles exhibiting clearly the influence of Arabian ornamentation, without denying Byzantine forms. In these woven fabrics the ornament is always treated as surface decoration. The plants and animals which we see applied, do not exactly intimate nature, but are more or less idealised."
Middle-Ages Enamel and Illumination of Manuscripts
"The Romanesque ornament found its freest display in the illumination of manuscripts, where particularly the large initials were magnificently treated. Especially animals were here combined with scroll work in the most strange arabesque-like representations. The ground of the paintings in the earlier times was gold, later on many-coloured. In the art of enamelling, which had been transferred from Byzantium to Germany, the German artists attained a high point of perfection; only they took for their metal-ground copper-plates instead of the expensive gold-plates, and instead of email cloisonné* they employed champlevé* work which then spread also in France and made the manufacturies of Limoges far and wide renowned."
Middle-Ages Wall Painting
"From sites in Italy and Germany. "The colours used in wall painting are cheerful and of great variety. The human figures do not exhibit the same rigidity of old age as the contemporary Byzantine, but show a freer and more youthful movement. The folds of the garments following pretty closely the forms of the body, are much better modelled than, for instance, in the Byzantine images. As regards the ornament, all the pecularities of the Romanesque style are likewise applicable to it. Frequent use is made of the circle or parts or a circle."
Middle-Ages Stained Glass
Examples from Troyes, St Denis, Angers, Bourges, Paris, Strasbourg and Rome. The author's comments make little sense other than to note that glass painting began around the end of the 10th century.
Middle-Ages Stone-Mosaic
Details shown are derived from mosaic floors, engraved stone flags and enamelled clay tiles in France, Germany and England. "Where stones of various colours for an artistic floor-incrustation were not available, it plainly was expedient, to use small clay-plates or engraved stone-flags for adorning the floors". In the period of dominance by the Romanesque style, the stone flags had decorative designs rendered in coloured cement (similar to Arabian ornamentation) and often fired with a transparent glazing. Designs in mosaic compositions were almost exclusively geometric patterns; in other types of floor incrustations, human figures, plants and animals were the dominat theme. "Among the plants the lily is most variously idealised, and as in glass-painting, the oak and wine leaves are everywhere repeated."
Middle-Ages Wood Mosaic
Designs come from church reading desks, vestry doors and stalls in Venice, Verona and Ulm. "It was no great step from adorning walls and floors with variously coloured materials to a similar decoration of wooden objects. Here however, ornamentation was somewhat limited by the nature of the wood; accordingly vegetable and figural representations are seldom found, at least in the Gothic style, whereas we meet most frequently with band and line ornament, in conjunction with a kind of mosaic work, consisting of small pieces of wood being arranged as stars etc."
Middle-Ages Illumination of Manuscripts
"In the illumination of manuscripts the livelier forms of the ornament superseded slowly the round, surface-filling forms of the Romanesque style. The flowers were often idealised, also some direct from nature and the styles were sometimes combined, especially in the later Gothic time. Characteristically of this time is a deep shading, as well as the use of half tones, and the laying on of lights." [!?]
Middle-Ages Ceiling and Wall Painting
Details from churches in Germany (most) and France. "The further progress in wall-painting in the Gothic period was somewhat impeded by the want of wall surfaces suitable to the reception of larger pictures, whereas sufficient opportunity was given for ornamentation. The occurring figures were influenced by the upward direction and frequent narrowness of the space at disposal, wherefore they exhibit not seldom a too slender appearance."
These are further scans from 'Der Ornamentenschatz' (1887) by Heinrich Dolmetsch, first published in English in 1898 as 'The Treasury of Ornament'.
See also: The Treasury of Ornament I.
The Owen Jones classic of this genre, 'The Grammar of Ornament', was published in 1856 and is available from the Digital Library for the Decorative Arts and Material Culture at the University of Wisconsin. I haven't (yet) compared the two works to get a sense of the degree of originality in the Dolmetsch book. {Next up: the Renaissance}
UPDATE: The Treasury of Ornament 3
Pratt Ex Libris
Bookplate of William Ewart Gladstone
Created by Samuel Hollyer, 1889
"William Ewart Gladstone - Northbourne d:d: 23 July 1839 - 23 July 1889," with the motto, 'Fide Et Virtute' features a coat of arms, a gryphon holding a sword, falcons, and an owl. Gladstone, a British political reformer and rival of Disraeli, was Prime Minister in England four times.Created by Samuel Hollyer, 1889
Bookplate of Dr. Rene und Frau Thackstfep [?]
Created by Hans Thaddeus Hoyer, 1923
"Dr. Rene und Frau Ibach Isse" in Gothic script; includes monograms, "FI" and "RI" on shields, with ornamental design. Signed near bottom, "HTH" with "23."Created by Hans Thaddeus Hoyer, 1923
[update: some of this is inaccurate; see flow's comment below]
"Ex Libris [...] Benes;" features a skeleton playing the cello and a nude woman with claws. Signed in lower left, "AIB 09." (1909)
"Bucherzeichen Otto Brinckmann" depicts a sailing ship on the ocean. Unsigned.
Bookplate of George Allen Publisher, Ruskin House
Depicts Saint George slaying the dragon, with large monogram "GA." Signed in lower right with unidentified monogram.Bookplate of Loresini Biazzi, Cremona
Created by Willi Geiger, 1910
"Ex Libris Loresini Biazzi, Cremona" + "Stradivarius - Cremona" features a violin, probably a representation of the Cremona Stradivarius violin. Signed in upper left, "Willi Geiger;" withCreated by Willi Geiger, 1910
Bookplate of Henry H. Harper
(unsigned, undated)
(unsigned, undated)
Bookplate of (and created by) Samuel Hollyer (1896)
"S Hollyer His Booke" depicts a library setting with a man at a desk reading a book while burning a hole through his chapeau. In the bottom right corner is a book titled "Hogarth." Signed at bottom right "S.Hollyer Eng."Bookplate of Baron Leverhulme of Bolton-Le-Moors
Created by G Scraby, 1917
Features a shield supported by elephants with roses. The shield bears a rose, garland, vertical and horizontal stripes, a helmet, and a crow (supposedly). The crest features a trumpet and a rooster.Created by G Scraby, 1917
Bookplate of Herman M Schroeter
Created by Arthur Engler, 1913
Includes motto, 'Chemistry Astronomy Typography'; features a woman with globe, a woman with scroll, a woman with musical instrument, a bookshelf, a letterpress and a chemistry set.Created by Arthur Engler, 1913
Bookplate of F Rainis
Created by E.G. Reuter
Features the motto 'Inter folia frucus advor geneuenfis' and depicts a backgroumd of a grapevine design. Signed at bottom "E.G. Reuter."Created by E.G. Reuter
[see flow's comment below]
Bookplate of Heinrich Schwarz
Created by M.D.
Depicts a phoenix or an eagle¶ standing on a stack of books and grasping a scroll with a lyre beneath.Created by M.D.
[¶ Addit: Actually, it's a griffin -- "a legendary creature with the body of a lion and the head and often wings of an eagle"-- thanks AWW!]
The Pratt Institute Libraries have a collection of more than 1200 Ex Libris (bookplate) images in their flickr stream.
"The Ex Libris Collection consists of nineteenth- and twentieth-century bookplates from private and institutional libraries. The plates feature finely detailed engraving and etching, and serve as outstanding examples of period book art and typography."The first six images above come from a selection of more than one hundred of the Pratt Libraries Ex Libris Collection posted at high resolution to LunaCommons
[The LunaCommons site - mentioned previously - contains a wealth of cultural material and is a potential (worthy) timesink. Essentially it's an easier way to access images from the family of collections among the LunaInsight browser portals arising out of the David Rumsey site]
Thanks Sara!
Tuesday, June 02, 2009
The Treasury of Ornament 1
Egyptian Painting and Plastic Art
Relief figures, paintings and borders from a sarcophagus and temple columns
Egyptian Architecture and Painting
Capitals (sylised palms and papyrus), cornice and paintings from pylon, entablature, Luxor and Thebes temples, tomb chambers and mummy case
Assyrian Painting Polychrome Sculpture Pottery
Details from bas-reliefs, glazed and enamelled bricks and painted ornament found at Khorsabad, Koyunjik and Nimroud
Greek Polychrome Architecture
Friezes, cassette panels, cornices and painted ornament from Selinus, Propylaea and the temple of Nike Apteros and other sites in Athens
Greek Pottery
Wine amphora, drinking vessels and vases. "The oldest Greek vases are the most simply decorated; on a light ground colour of clay bands, circles, squares etc. used to be painted. But soon they appear also with friezes, decorated with figures of animals. [..] Subsequently figural representations appear between bands: undulating lines, heart-shapes and laurel leaves, meanders etc. [..] In the zenith of Greek ceramique art the colouring of the ground and of the ornamental and figural representations underwent a change. The orange colour of the clay was spared, the bacground filled with black. The figures, drawn with the brush, show much firmness and a noble elegance." {this snip gives a rough indication of the translational quality, such as it is, of the book}
Roman Ornamental Architecture and Sculpture
Friezes, capitals, candelabra, rosettes and cornices - mainly corinthian with some composite and mixed corinthian/ionic features
Roman Mosaic Floors
Frieze, floor and plate-mosaics, many originating in Pompeii
Pompeian Wallpainting and Polychrome Basso Relievos
The wallpaintings found at Pompeii, Herculaneum and Stabiae (and Rome) are probably reproductions of originals - now lost - by the Greek masters
Chinese Painting
Porcelain painting: The principal native plants used for decorative patterns are the leaves and flowers from the tea-shrub, roses, camellias, melons etc.
Chinese Painting Weaving Embroidery and Email Cloisonné*
Vases, bowls, wooden chest and curtain designs (cloisonné is a technique where outlines of the scenes are formed by soldered metal borders and enamelling takes place within each resulting 'cell')
Japan Lacker Painting [sic]
Where Chinese lacquer ware designs are dominated by scenes from nature, the Japanese art more often employs geometric patterns. The most precious papier-mâché and wooden objects have up to twenty coats of lacquer applied, often with reapplication of the design in gold paint (gilding) in between each layer of lacquer, resulting in a 'relief' appearance
Japan Weaving, Painting and Email Cloisonné
Porcelain and enamelled vases and border patterns from silk.
Indian Metal Work
Etched and damascened ornament/decoration on battle axes, inlaid rhino skin shield and various copper and tin vessels (including a hookah)
Indian Embroidery, Weaving, Plaiting and Lacquerwork [sic]
Carpets, plaited rush mat, cashmere shawl, painted lacquer and embroidered silk. Primary natural motives include the lotus and palm branch
Indian Metal Work, Embroidery, Weaving and Painting
Chiselled, enamelled and jewelled arms, embroidered fans, table cover, saddle cloth and parasol; woven shawl and woven material borders, lacquer bookcover and illuminated manuscript designs.
Persian Architecture
Entablature, window frame, column capitals, minaret and various architectural details (all from Isfahan*)
Persian Pottery
Fayence (tin-glazed) plates and wall wainscot borders. "Both the invariably flat treatment of the ornament and the prevalence of the natural imitation of flowers constitute the characteristic style of Persian decoration."
This is the first of three or maybe four posts presenting scans (by me) from 'The Treasury of Ornament' by Heinrich Dolmetsch, first published as 'Der Ornamentenschatz' by Verlag von Julius Hoffman in Stuttgart in 1887.
The book is fairly fragile and I can't of course pull it apart, so it's difficult to get the highest grade quality: there's some focus anomalies at the edges at times but overall I don't think it's too bad. I'll probably end up scanning about three quarters of the total plates.
UPDATE:
- The Treasury of Ornament 2
- The Treasury of Ornament 3
- Online: English / German - (thank V.T.) October 2018