Grammar of Ornaments

Architect, decorator and teacher, Owen Jones supervised work at the Great Exhibition of 1851 in London and his decoration of the Crystal Palace was unanimously acclaimed. His work, The Grammar of Ornament, was first published in 1856 and is still an indispensable reference tool. Its encyclopedic approach offers a unique vision of the decorative styles throughout time. The Grammar of Ornament is a treatise of the most significant forms of ornamental motifs. Organized in twenty chapters, each with an introductary text, these plates were compiled by Owen Jones, assisted by his students, from museum documents and existing historical and scientific publications. Its extremely varied illustrations make The Grammar of Ornament essential to the history of decorative arts.