§ 18, 49. 



FIGURES ON VASES. 



261 



has a disagreeable effect. The fault is in making the figures too 

 large, or in not confining them to the most level part. Thus, 

 the eye, taking in only a portion, sees them without heads, or 

 in a distorted position (woodcut 40, fig. 1), when, by extend- 

 ing the border lower down the upper part, and diminishing the 



(40.) 



Fig. 1. 



Fig. 2. 



size of the figures, they would appear entire upon the proper 



field (fig. 2). The same applies to figures on the inner or 



outer surface of a cylix, where they 



should only occupy the flat part of the (41 •) 



centre, and leave a space between 



them and the rim on the outside, 



instead of following its curve with 



their distorted heads. (Woodcut 41.) 



49. The mixture of natural and conventional objects in the 

 same design is another grievous fault; as in encaustic tiles, 

 where a rectangular geometrical pattern is disfigured by being 

 combined with an imitation of roses or other flowers ; and a 

 still greater abuse has introduced in tiles, 

 paper, Tunbridge ware, and printed stuffs, 

 not only flowers, but even the square 

 stitches of Berlin worsted-work, with their 

 staircase outlines.] It is not an uncom- 

 mon practice in ornamental compositions, 

 and even in architectural mouldings and 

 tracery, to put together designs of a totally different kind, 

 and quite unsuited to each other, frequently from the very 



s 3 



