Author(s): Owen Jones

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First published in 1856, The Grammar of Ornament remains a design classic. Its inspiration came from the pioneering architect and designer Owen Jones. His observations of decorative art on his extensive travels in Europe and the Near East were employed to improve the poor quality of British design. He increasingly disapproved of the Victorian habit of mixing elements from a wide variety of sources and applying the mix indiscriminately to buildings, graphics and products. His resulting study is a comprehensive analysis of a remarkable collection of styles of ornamental design - from Ancient Egypt and Greece to Imperial China and Elizabethan England. With its sumptuous illustrations, its detailed survey of individual cultures, and its manifesto of 'General Principles' it offered guidance to the designers of the future.