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Throwing his head back and striking a 'warrior pose', his long braided hair, traditional dyed cloth wrapping below his waist, and the boat paddle he holds make him seem powerful and heroic. A man from Oceania dramatically poses on a beach covered in a shallow layer of water and seaweed. Throwing his head back and striking a 'warrior pose', his long braided hair, traditional dyed cloth wrapping below his waist, and the boat paddle he holds make him seem powerful and heroic. Exhibition National Museum of Scotland Rising Tide A new exhibition at the National Museum of Scotland showcasing artworks created in response to the climate crisis in Australia and the Pacific Islands. Find out more A moment of eye contact with a leopard as it curls its tail, while striding over water. A moment of eye contact with a leopard as it curls its tail, while striding over water. 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Find out more A group of carved Lewis chess pieces A group of carved Lewis chess pieces Make a donation We rely on your donations to protect the objects in our care. Find out more * My Account * Blog * Shop * Venue Hire * Search Desktop Toggle Search our website Key in a search term below to search our website. [ ] [Search] * Popular searches: * National Museum of Scotland * National Museum of Flight * National Museum of Rural Life * National War Museum * Explore the collections * Schools * Dolly the Sheep * Egypt games * Lewis chess pieces * Jobs * Volunteering * Become a member Close [dj7a6351] Grammar of Ornament Global Arts, Cultures and Design 15 min read Explore our collections Back " True beauty results from that repose which the mind feels when the eye, the intellect, and the affections, are satisfied from the absence of any want. - Owen Jones, Grammar of Ornament Grammar of Ornament was Owen Jones' design masterpiece. First published in 1856, the lavish folio highlighted stunning patterns, motifs and ornaments in 112 illustrated plates. Each intricate illustration explored design principles behind the architecture, textiles, manuscripts and decorative arts of 19 diverse cultural periods, with a final chapter revelling in the glory of the natural world. Grammar of Ornament was a monumental publishing project that achieved standards of colour printing never seen before. It is still in print 150 years later, testament to its enduring design appeal. Who was Owen Jones? Owen Jones was one of the most influential tastemakers of the Victorian era. His pioneering studies on colour theory, geometry and form still inspire designers to this day. Trained as an architect, designer and design theorist, Jones' greatest project was perhaps as Superintendent of Works for the 1851 Great Exhibition. A celebration of the power and potential of new industrial technologies and modern design, Jones' work on the interiors of the Crystal Palace showcased his skills to six million visitors. Ironwork decorated in bold primary tones - vivid reds, yellows and blues - nodded to the Alhambra and Ancient Greece, motifs which surfaced in Jones' work time and time again. [crystal_pa] Why did he create Grammar of Ornament? Grammar of Ornament was Owen Jones' rallying cry to designers and tastemakers of the Victorian era. His life's work was to convince others that the foundations for good, modern design were to be found in studying the lessons of history. The Grammar's purpose was thus not to encourage others to copy or revive these older decorative arts, but to help young designers make use of the rich underlying design principles - the grammar - in their own work. " The decorative arts arise from, and should properly be attendant upon, architecture. - Owen Jones, Grammar of Ornament How was Grammar of Ornament made? Despite the exponential rise of industrial technologies during the Victorian era, printing presses of the day could in no way mass replicate the intricacy of Jones' plates. Instead Jones funded the Grammar's print run from his own pocket, at great expense. Working with lithographers Day & Son, he turned to the new and expensive technique of chromolithography. This elaborate method of printing required up to 20 separate lithographic stones and drawings, one for each colour. These were then printed one over the other, layer over layer, to form the finished plate. For Grammar of Ornament, Jones' assistants spent a year meticulously copying the original drawings on to lithography stones. This layered technique was used in many variations on luxurious furnishings and prints during the late 19th century, including this contemporary French panoramic wallpaper. [arabian_no] Arabian Arabian No. 4, Plate XXXIV [arabian_no] [arabian_no] [arabian_no] [arabian_no] [arabian_no] [arabian_no] [byzantine_] Byzantine Byzantine No. 3, Plate XXX [byzantine_] [byzantine_] [byzantine_] [byzantine_] [celtic_no3] Celtic Celtic No. 3, Plate LXV [celtic_no3] [celtic_no3] [celtic_no3] [dj7a6422-d] [celtic_no3] [chinese_no] Chinese Chinese No. 3, Plate LXI [chinese_no] [chinese_no] [chinese_no] [chinese_no] [chinese_no] Chinese No. 4, Plate LXIL [chinese_no] [egyptian_n] Egyptian [egyptian_n] [dj7a6265] [egyptian_n] [egyptian_n] [egyptian_n] [greek_no8_] Greek Greek No 8, Plate XXII [greek_no8_] [greek_no8_] [greek_no8_] [illuminate] Illuminated Illuminated No. 1, Plate LXX [illuminate] [illuminate] [illuminate] [illuminate] [indian_no6] Indian Indian No. 4, Plate LII and Indian No. 6, Plate LIV [indian_no6] [indian_no6] [indian_no4] [indian_no4] [indian_no4] [indian_no6] [indian_no4] [indian_no6] [moresque_n] Moresque Moresque No. 2, Plate XL [moresque_n] [moresque_n] [moresque_n] [moresque_n] [moresque_n] [leaves_flo] Leaves and Flowers from Nature Leaves and Flowers from Nature No. 8, Plate XCVIII [leaves_flo] [leaves_flo] [leaves_flo] [persin_no4] Nineveh and Persia [dj7a6350] [persin_no4] [persian_no] [persian_no] [persian_no] [persian_no] [persin_no4] [persian_no] [pompeian_n] Pompeian Pompeian No. 3, Plate XXV [pompeian_n] [pompeian_n] [pompeian_n] [pompeian_n] [renaissanc] Renaissance Renaissance No. 5, Plate LXXVIII [renaissanc] [renaissanc] [roman_no1_] Roman Roman No. 1, Plate XXVI [roman_no1_] [roman_no1_] [roman_no1_] [turkish_no] Turkish Turkish No. 2, Plate XXXVII [turkish_no] [turkish_no] [turkish_no] [turkish_no] [titlepage] Find out more * Full digital version of The grammar of ornament book online More like this * [2020_09_11] Art, Design and Fashion galleries * [k_2015_59_] Blog posts about our Art and Design collection * [workingmod] Making the Museum * [img_0002-8] Mode Tags * Story * Global Arts, Cultures and Design * Fashion and textiles * Ceramic and glass * Furniture * Paintings and photos * Books and printing Visit us * National Museum of Scotland * National Museum of Flight * National War Museum * National Museum of Rural Life * National Museums Collection Centre Our organisation * About us * Our work * Our services * Collections & research * Jobs and volunteering Learning & access * Schools * Support for teachers * Working with communities * Explore our collections * Search our collections Around Scotland * National work * Training and guidance for museums * Collections reviews * Colonial histories and legacies * International work Subscribe to our newsletter Sign up Connect with us Twitter Facebook Instagram YouTube Pinterest (c) National Museums Scotland, Scottish Charity SC011130 * Privacy notice * Cookie policy * Website accessibility * Press * Venue Hire * Contact us Back to top