448 Mr. H. H. Statham [June 4, 



climate. And this brings us to the considerations which seem really 

 to govern and determine the relationship of natural ornament to the 

 natural models from which it is derived, and which arise either from 

 the position in which the ornament is applied or from the materials 

 in which it is executed. 



A few illustrations will elucidate this better than many words. 



Take, on the second page of illustrations, Fig. 34, a sketch of a sprig 



of a flower exactly as it grew (in the corner is represented the top view 



of the blossom the size of the original), and let us see how we shall 



have to shaj)e that if we apply it in various different materials and 



methods. If we wish to paint it by hand in a panel (Fig. 35), there 



is then nothing to prevent us from making as good an imitation of 



the details and variety of nature as we can, only taking care to arrange 



the blossoms and leaves so as to be well distributed over the space, 



and to appear naturally to fill it. It is true that in some cases a 



better decorative effect might be produced by more conventionalism, 



but this depends u23on other circumstances, and at all events the 



method of execution by hand leaves us perfectly free and unfettered 



in our treatment of our model, if we elect so to be : we are not 



restricted by any mechanical difficulties, nor by any inadequacy of 



material to produce precise imitation. But if we have to treat the 



same flower in a wall-paper, which is mechanically repeated in small 



sections, the attempt to give to the design the appearance of natural 



variety, as in Fig. 36, though it may look effective at a first glance, is 



liable to lose its effectiveness in our eyes when we find on closer 



examination that the same leaf is turned down, the same grouj) of 



blossoms recurs at every 20 or 30 inches distance ; it seems better in 



such a case to treat the flower more conventionally (Fig. 37), and to 



disavow any pretext of a naturalism which cannot be really sustained. 



If, on the other hand, we have to apply the flower as a border in 



needlework (Fig. 38), though we are obliged in this case to ignore some 



of the more delicate detail and gradation of tone, which this method 



cannot reproduce, we have again the freedom of handwork, and we 



may be at liberty to arrange the flowers and leaves along the border 



with all the irregularity of nature : since they must all be separately 



worked, and repetition is no economy in any way. But even in this 



case it is best to give some continuity to the ornament by continuous 



lines, and even by the symmetrical spacing of a smaller detail, in this 



case derived from the top view, or, as we may say, the " plan," of the 



blossom. If we have to treat it in inlay (Fig. 39), we are again free 



to employ any degree of variety, as far as convenience and economy 



of work are concerned, as each cutting is separately made ; but here 



the effect of the process is so far removed from that of nature, the 



materials are so hard and unyielding in appearance, that it is best on 



other grounds to avoid any appearance of imitating nature, and to give 



to the work the symmetry and regularity of a completely artificial 



production. In doing this, however, we should keep in mind any 



slight peculiarity in the original model, and preserve a hint of it, in 



