i4 
KERAMIC STUDIO 
HISTORIC ORNAMENT 
EGYPTIAN 
RIMITIVE art is the art of the savage tribes. 
In form and color the designs are more 
adapted to textiles and wood carving. 
They are of no special date, as the savage 
to-day employs about the same motives as those of earlier 
times. The most ancient form of ornament is the Egyptian. 
The more ancient, the more perfect. All trace of the in- 
fancy of Egyptian art is lost, and there has been a 
gradual decline in purity of both form and color since the 
earliest known specimens. In form the lines are symmetrical 
and stiff — very few are flowing, and those are found mostly in 
later work. They follow the 
laws of nature in all ornament, 
and however stiff and conven- 
tional, they are always true. 
In firmness and justness of 
drawing the Egyptians have 
never been surpassed, rarely 
equaled, even by the Greeks, 
especially in hieroglyphics. Their motives are symbolical and 
spiritual ; there is a rigidity in all forms, but a rigidity with a 
purpose. The result proves them right. There is hardly a 
more characteristic art in the world than 
the Egyptian. The color as well as the 
form is flat and conventional, no shading, no 
. shadow. The ancient Egyptians used the 
primary colors : red, blue and yellow ; some- 
times green with black and white ; later, 
purple and brown were introduced. In their 
primitive art — the art instinctive — they used 
only the primary colors ; later, in their civil- 
ized art — the art traditionary — they used 
secondary colors, rarely with equal success. 
We have in the illustrations, the lotus, sacred flower of 
Egypt; the papyrus and lotus, in the conventional cluster, so 
often pictured in the hands of kings ; the head of the sacred 
bull "Apis," with the sun between his horns ; and the winged 
disc supported by two serpents, the royal emblem of Egypt. 
There is also a suggestion of the stripes so much used in 
Egyptian designs. In the natural lotus blossom the outer 
row of sepals are dark green, the inner light green, the petals 
purple and the heart yellow. In the conventionalized form, 
the sepals are sometimes green, sometimes 
blue, the petals red on a yellow ground, or they 
follow the natural colors. The base of the 
calyx is often painted yellow and marked with 
red. The buds are painted green or blue. 
The papyrus is a green or blue fan with the 
saw teeth at the top filled in with yellow. The 
yellow used is always a deep rich color. 
"Apis" has a red disc above his head, yellow 
or orange horns, red ears, white face marked 
with red, pale blue on eyes and nose. There is a rainbow 
effect in the rays underneath, the first row is blue, then green, 
yellow and red. The lines and small stripes follow the same 
color scheme with purple, black, white and gold sometimes 
added. 
V//ii\V 
HBISilBllllll 
The emblem of Ra, head of the sacred royal house of 
Rameses, is variously treated in colors. The original of this 
sketch has the disc red, the wings in three sections, the upper 
row blue, the next green and 
the lower row blue, the ridge 
along the top of wing red, 
the feathers outlined in 
black and white. The ser- 
pents are green, with red 
heads and cross bands. The 
stripes in band underneath 
are alternating bh 
red, white. 
" WHlSii 
Application to 
Modern 
Design 
On the stein, the emblem of Ra is out- 
lined in raised gold and filled in with colored 
enamels. You can, if you prefer, use the 
flat colors painted in rich tones and outlined 
in either flat or raised gold. The back- 
ground of this figure is a band of gold with alternating stripes 
of color outlined in black. The plain band is of gold or deep 
yellow. The upper band has the lotus in natural colors, out- 
lined in gold on a black ground. The scroll-like stem is green. 
The lines above and below in some color outlined in gold. 
The decorative band on base will also be in colors already 
given, on a black ground. The handle gold. 
LUSTRE TANKARD 
MAKE a careful tracing of the three panels and surround- 
ing paste work, transferring to the china and fixing the 
drawing of figures and all flat work with outlining black. The 
scroll work fix with cobalt blue water color, as that will rub 
off after firing, leaving the drawing in white. Lay in the 
background of the figures in gold, the lower half being shaded 
with red bronze. Back of the scroll work, in the upper part 
of the panel, is green bronze No. 10 mixed with one-third 
gold. The lustre surrounding the panels are, in the upper 
half light green, the lower half irridescent rose, which will 
come out from the first fire a bright changeable bluish green 
and red. Lay on the lustres with your largest square shaders, 
using a separate one for each color, if possible, otherwise wash- 
thoroughly in turpentine and then in alcohol, and dry before 
using in another color. Use the lustre from the bottle with- 
out any further mixture. Do not try to make even ; a shaded 
effect is much more desirable. Have china perfectly free from 
dust or moisture. Avoid bubbles in putting on the lustre, 
smoothing them out with the brush, but do not go over lustre 
after it is once on, as it will show brush marks. Keep out of 
the dust and put away in a closet to dry. Do not dry by 
artificial means, as the lustre is liable to be injured. The 
irridescent rose will go on much more tliickly than the green, 
but unless very stiff do not thin with essence. Put green 
lustre on top and base scrolls of handle, gold on outer and 
inner flat parts, red bronze on design in sides, gold on the top 
of tankard down to scroll work on the outside and three to 
four inches down inside. It is now ready for the first fire. 
The two side panels and treatment for second fire will be given 
in the second number of the magazine. 
For light tints in lustre, thin with essence and pad lightly 
with a silk pad until tacky. The thinner lustres, such as light 
green and yellow, do not need the admixture of essence. 
