168 
KERAMIC STUDIO 
TEXTILES AS A SOURCE OF INSPIRATION IN DESIGN 
Adelaide A. Robineau 
THE textile illustrations accompanying this article were 
selected as all bearing on the problem of diaper or 
"all over" decoration. This type of decoration has been 
much used by the Japanese and Chinese, especially on necks 
of vases, in panels or decorated bands. It is a method of 
decoration not much in favor by our decorators on account 
of the labor involved, but it is a type worth trying never- 
theless and a problem most fascinating to work upon. 
It will be noticed that these designs are all rectangular, 
built on a square or diamond shape. The student should 
rule off a sheet of paper either in 1 inch diamond or square, 
and then mark off the sheet into larger squares of about 
4 inches, and try out these different methods of diapering, 
simplifying the forms so that they may be applied in enamel 
colors or gold. A semi-naturalistic form may be substituted 
for the center ornament of the square or diamond. Notice 
the different methods of following the plan (Fig. 1) . This 
can be varied almost without limit, as can be seen by 
examining the illustrated textiles. In Fig. 1, No. 1 was sug- 
gested by No. 189 where there is a decided pathway between 
the diamonds. All the spacing lines should be erased after 
the design has been planned, in this case a plain pathway 
would be left after the spacing lines are erased from the 
center of the pathway. 
No. 2 is a variant of No. 1. In this instance the path- 
way is decorated and the center of diamond left plain. No. 
174 shows an interesting treatment of the pathway which 
could be varied so as to bring the design at the crossing of 
the lines instead of in the diamonds. 
No. 3 is suggested by a part of the elaborate center dec- 
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Figure i. 
Courtesy of Metropolitan Museum. 
