KERAM1C STUDIO 
247 
THE APPLICATION OF ORNAMENT 
A. G.Marsha// 
SIXTH PAPER. 
pplied ornament may be classified as all-over 
patterns, borders, center pieces or detached 
ornaments, and special designs. Of these 
four classes, all-over patterns are the most 
extensively used, forming, probably, forty- 
nine fiftieths of all wall, floor and textile decoration, and 
though much more restricted in their application to keramics, 
constituting a very important branch of decorative material, 
which within its proper limits is the easiest of use for the 
mineral painter. All-over patterns may be divided into 
stripes (plain, enriched, straight, waved, zigzag, &c), diapers 
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(including plaids, checks, basket, fretwork and "scale" or "tile" 
patterns, as well as ordinary "repeats") and powderings. The 
term diaper is restricted to patterns formed of connected 
figures of any kind, placed at regular intervals over a surface. 
Stripes and powderings are sometimes combined, as in old- 
fashioned wall hangings and striped-and-flowered dress fabrics. 
The underlying idea with all varieties of all-over patterns is 
exceedingly simple : the agreeable diversifying of a surface by 
the repetition of a well-chosen unit or an alternation of two 
(rarely more) such units, at equal distances. The basis of all 
such patterns, excepting stripes, is a groundwork of simple 
forms, as squares, oblongs, lozenges, triangles, circles or 
ellipses, arranged either in horizontal rows, making what is 
technically called a "plain" or "square match" (Fig. 1), or in 
diagonal rows, forming a "drop match" (Fig. 2). 
The orientals made much use of diapering on porcelain and 
metals, often in a very quaint and pleasing manner. The 
possibilities of these simple decorative ideas for keramic pur- 
poses seem to have been largely overlooked by European and 
American artists. Much of real beauty can be done with 
diapers, powderings and simple bands or edgings, by decora- 
tors possessed of little skill in drawing or broad handling. 
The East is also peculiarly happy in another form of all-over 
decoration which is between the diaper and the special design, 
the surface being closely covered by enrichment in which there 
is no exact repetition, the units exhibiting continual variety, 
usually conventional flowers and leaves, connected by curving 
or interlacing stems. This form of decoration carries richness 
to excess, and must be very skilfully managed. The details, 
as in the best Japanese work in this style, should be not too 
large or too separate, but lose themselves at a short distance 
in a bloom of vibrating color. The interest of a diaper, and 
more especially of a powdering, when it is the principal deco- 
ration, is often enhanced by varying the repeated units, keep- 
ing them, however of the same general form and size. The 
Chinese and Japanese have another quaint and effective way 
of using all-over patterns in oddly shaped patches, set together 
much after the fashion of "crazy patchwork," sometimes joined 
in more regular style, separated usually with gold lines and 
the details often being touched or accented with gold. 
Japanese, Chinese, Hindoo, Persian, Arabian, Turkish and 
Moorish designs in lacquer, porcelain and metal abound in 
examples of this lavish surface adornment, growing less fan- 
tastic and more inclined to formal symmetry as we proceed 
westward from China. 
It is not at all advisable to attempt following their ideas 
literally. Our fancy does not flow through the same channels 
as theirs, and any direct imitations of these surcharged and 
barbaric styles would miss the spirit of the originals and pro- 
duce but a dull and over-elaborated result. We can, however, 
take similar motives for original application and borrow hints 
where they can be assimilated with our own feeling. 
Chief among the things not to be done with all-over pat- 
terns, is forcing them around angles and abrupt curves. They 
should also be kept off from narrow necks, handles, spouts, 
feet, and all places where there is not sufficient surface to dis- 
play more of the repeated units than can be readily counted. 
In such situations they look poor and cheap. They always 
require room to spread out to some extent in all directions. 
If the place they adorn is of regular, symmetrical shape, care 
should be taken that the units are disposed symmetrically, 
and not haphazard, leaving more space at one side than the 
other. It must be borne in mind that all-over patterns are of 
the nature of enriched backgrounds, and are lacking in the 
elements of strong contrasts that count so much for effect in 
decoration. Hence it is not often that they will be found 
desirable for the sole ornament of an object. At least a 
strong border or a contrasting plain space will be generally 
required in combination. On the other hand, a diaper or pow- 
dering must not be employed with other more important fea- 
tures when they will be crowded or rendered less effective by the 
association. A good general rule is to consider such patterns 
as a richer kind of shading or tinting, and to employ them 
instead of flat tints where a richer effect is desirable. Acting 
on this idea, it will be found that in keramic decoration they 
generally go best with the simplest schemes, the exceptions 
being their use as backgrounds or fillings to panels or medal- 
lion-like framed spaces in rich scroll designs, shields, &c, and 
on draperies, or replacing tints in conventional figures, foliage, 
&c. When used, they must be executed very neatly. The 
chief danger to be guarded against in introducing them into 
bold designs is the tendency to a finicky effect. But judi- 
ciously used they both enrich and soften away the harshness 
and crudity of bold and heavy schemes, and also give weight 
and color to thin and wiry designs. 
[TO BE CONTINUED.] 
Flux — A liquid used with colors either to weaken them 
or enable them to have an easier fire, 
