n..i.MEs.l GEOMETRIC CHAHACTEK OF KKIJEVKD KEATTRES. 20'.) 



conceive of the transfer of such ideas from purely personal associa- 

 tions to the embellishment of articles intimately associated with tlie 

 person. No matter, howeA-er, what the period or manner of the as- 

 sociation of such ideas with the textile art, that association may be 

 taken as the datum point in the development of a ^reat system of 

 decoration whose (listiii,t;uishiii,n- cliai'acters are the result of the 

 geometric textile (■(iiisli-uctii)n. 



In amplifying this subject I liud it eouvenieut to treat separately 

 the two classes of decorative pheuuuieu:! — tlie relieved and the flat — 

 notwithstanding the fact that they are (m the most ]iart intimately 

 associated and act together in the aee(iin]ilislnnent of a couiukiu end. 



Ordinary featnres. — The relieved surface characters of fabrics 

 resulting from constructinn and available for decoration are more or 

 less distill, -tly perceptible t.. the eye and t,> tlie toueli and are susre,,ti- 

 1 lie of nil limited variatinn in detail and aiTaii-emeiil. Sm-li te.itiires 

 are familiar to all in the strongly marked ridges <.f basketry, ami iiiiich 

 more pleasingly so in the delicate figures of damasks, embroideries, 

 and laces. So long as the figures produced are confined exclusively 

 to the necessary featuivsuf uiieiiibellished eoustruetimi. as is tlie case 

 inverv priniitixc work and in all j.lain w. ,rk. t lie ivsnltaiit i.alterns 

 arewh,illy,-e,,iiietricaiid hy endless repetitnnidflike j.arts ,.xtreinely 

 monotonous. 



In right angled weaving the figures combine in straight lines, which 

 run parallel or cross at uniform distances and angles. In radiate 

 weaving, as in basketry, the radial lines are crossed in an equally 

 formal manner by concentric lines. In other classes of combinatinn 

 there is an almost equal degree of geometricity. 



When, however, with the growth of intelligence and skill it is found 

 that greater variety of effect can be secured by modifying the essential 

 (■Miiibinatidiis of parts, and that, too, without interfering with con- 

 struetix-e iierfection or with use, a new and wide field is opened for 

 the developmental tendencies of textile decoration. 



Moreover, in addition to the facilities afforded by the necessary ele- 

 ments of construction, there are many extraneous resoirrces of which 

 the textile decorator may freely avail himself. The character of these 

 is such that the results, however varied, harmonize thoroughly with 

 indigenous textile forms. 



To make these points quite clear it will be necessary ti> aiialy/.e 

 somewhat closely the character and scope of textile combinatiun and 

 of the resultant and associated phenomena:. 



We may distinguish two broad classes of constructive jiheiKimena 

 made use of in the expression of relieved enrichment. As indieati'd 

 above, these are. first, essential or actual constructive features ;inil. 

 second, extra or superconstructive features. 



