The Grammar of Ornament
Jones, Owen
London. Day and Son. 1856
Sold
A fine copy of Jones' masterpiece of chromolithography, the Jeudwine copy, in contemporary red morocco.
Produced as a result of the impact of the Great Exhibition, The Grammar of Ornament was a prophetic work which was to mark a major change in aesthetic ideas. The 3,000 illustrations provided, for designers and manufacturers, a pictorial museum of motifs taken from an extensive range of subjects and sources. Among the large selection of Arabic, Persian, Indian, Chinese and Far Eastern ornament were the first illustrations of primitive art which showed it for its design content rather than presenting it in an anthropological context.
The text was an affirmation of Jones' own philosophy: the 37 Propositions on the decorative arts formed practical guides which were followed by the important designers of the time. The book was an early example of using nature as a basic source, and Jones designated the largest section of the plates to illustrate this proposition: these included the first published designs by the young Christopher Dresser. The book was also a major printing achievement. The illustrations for the work were drawn by Jones' pupils and the chromolithography by Francis Bedford.
Produced as a result of the impact of the Great Exhibition, The Grammar of Ornament was a prophetic work which was to mark a major change in aesthetic ideas. The 3,000 illustrations provided, for designers and manufacturers, a pictorial museum of motifs taken from an extensive range of subjects and sources. Among the large selection of Arabic, Persian, Indian, Chinese and Far Eastern ornament were the first illustrations of primitive art which showed it for its design content rather than presenting it in an anthropological context.
The text was an affirmation of Jones' own philosophy: the 37 Propositions on the decorative arts formed practical guides which were followed by the important designers of the time. The book was an early example of using nature as a basic source, and Jones designated the largest section of the plates to illustrate this proposition: these included the first published designs by the young Christopher Dresser. The book was also a major printing achievement. The illustrations for the work were drawn by Jones' pupils and the chromolithography by Francis Bedford.
pp. 158. Large folio. (570 x 385 mm). Illustrated with 100 chromolithographics plates Full contemporary red morocco by J. Bell with his signature gilt, boards ruled in gilt with elaborate decorative gilt borders, banded spine with gilt title and tooling in six compartments, board edges with roll tool decoration in gilt, yellow glazed endpapers, a.e.g.
#41225
