The World of Ornament

History's most beautiful patterns—all available on an image database!


A compendium of history's most elegant and beautiful patterns and ornamental designs at your fingertips—for perusal or download anytime, in high-resolution format. World of Ornament brings together the two greatest encyclopedic collections of ornament of the 19th century: Racinet's L'Ornement polychrome Volumes I and II (1875-1888) and Dupont-Auberville's L'Ornement des tissus (1877). Adapted from historical items dating from antiquity, including jewelry, tiles, stained glass, illuminated manuscripts, textiles and ceramics, these ornamental designs encompass a wide range of cultural and esthetic motifs and patterns—including classical Egyptian, Greek, Roman, Etruscan, Asian and middle-Eastern, as well as European designs from medieval times through the 19th century.

Artists, historians, and art lovers will appreciate this lavish source and idea book, and interior designers and patternmakers will be delighted that all of the ornamental designs may be used and reproduced without restriction!

Includes exclusive access to image database: high-resolution images of all individual ornaments downloadable for unrestricted use!

fp 25 world of ornaments keycard

The author:
David Batterham has been an antiquarian bookseller in London since 1965. He specializes in books and journals on the graphic arts, ornament, fashion, and caricature with an emphasis on work from France and Spain.

The World of Ornament

Exclusive content:
Unlimited access
to online image library: over 4000 high-resolution scans of ornamental designs and patterns downloadable.
Download sample!
TASCHEN 25

The World of Ornament

David Batterham
Hardcover, slipcase + image database, 9.9 x 15 in., 528 pages, $ 69.99
ISBN 978-3-8365-1026-4
Multilingual Edition: English, French, German
Availability: In Stock
  • Reviews
"On ne peut imaginer mieux, pour ceux qui auraient l'infortune de rester au logis pendant ces mois de vacances, qu'une plongée dans l'Univers de l'ornement. On tient là une réédition superbe de l'Ornement polychrome et de l'Ornement des tissus publiés en trois gros volumes, entre 1869 et 1877, par Auguste Racinet et A.Dupont-Auberville...Cette œuvre ambitieuse, monumentale à tous égards, est un témoignage impressionnant des ambitions du XIXème siècle, une célébration de la confiance en l'avenir, du progrès technique et de la pure joie de vivre." Les Affiches de Normandie, Rouen, France
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