Evidence has been found that even earliest man used ornament to make something appear special. In the following millennia this tradition has continued. All kinds of utilitarian objects have been beautified in spite of the fact that the ornamentation has served no purpose but to please the beholder and to enhance the appearance of the object. Over the last hundred years ornament has largely disappeared from everyday articles and their functionality has been emphasised.  The fashion has been for minimalism and modernism. Ornament on objects of all kind has been considered unfashionable. James Trilling, author of The Language of Ornament, argues that because a disdain for ornament has been seen as progressive and fashionable few of us are familiar enough with it to understand it and so can neither enjoy it fully or use it.

In the book he tries to remedy this deficit of understanding. He suggests that because we do not understand ornament we are unable to even see it when it is in front of us. In the opening section of the first chapter, sub-titled 'The Lost Art of Seeing', he uses the example of the Eros statue in Piccadilly Circus which, he says, is barely spared a glance by most passers by. The detailed photographs of the statue and fountain illustrate his brief analysis of the ornament used.

The author tries to enable the reader to see and appreciate ornament of all kinds and cultures. He examines the subject across the millennia from Paleolithic times to the present day. His studies include such varied cultures as European, Chinese, Indian, Maori and Mongolian.

James Trilling writes in a learned and concise style but his prose is still accessible to the lay person with no previous experience of the subject.   

Quick Facts

Title: The Language of Ornament

Author: James Trilling

Publisher: Thames & Hudson

Pages: 224

Price: £8.95

ISBN: 0 500 20343 1

Published: 1st May 2001

Return to Home Page