HAVING previously considered the principal elements of ornament, it is now advisable to classify ornament in accordance with the spaces it has to fill, and these may roughly be divided into six classes or great divisions, as follows:—

1. Uniform surfaces, as floors, walls, and ceilings.
2. Horizontal bands, as friezes, &c.
3. Perpendicular bands, as panels of piers, pilasters, stripes, &c.
4. Symmetrical arrangements, as panels, either rectangular or of closed curved figures.
5. Symmetrical arrangements composed of straight and curved lines or of compound curves, as spandrels, panels of curved and straight lines.
6. Unsymmetrical spaces founded by straight or curved lines, or by both.

The uniform surfaces of large undivided areas are mostly decorated in the following ways: by all-over patterns, by diapering, checkering, powdering, or spotting. All-over patterns may be symmetrical, balanced, or one-sided, and are drawn, painted, modelled, or carved. The typical pattern, if symmetrical, has no

two pieces of the ornament alike in the one half; and if balanced or onesided has no two pieces alike; so that the whole is full of interest from its variety. It is, however, rarely seen, as, unless the artist does it for his own delight, few amateurs care to pay for it. It is simulated in paper-hangings by the repetition of a piece, the width of the paper (Fig. 143), called a repeat; by stencilling or pouncing the repeat, if painted; and by cast repeats, if in plaster. This is one of the cheap substitutes for the real thing which pervades European art. The Chinese formerly supplied paper-hangings that would cover a whole room without a repeat.

A diaper pattern is properly one contained in some repeating geometrical figure not composed of straight lines. In Saracenic and Moresque work real diapers are mostly found, a geometrical framework being laid over some interlaced floral patterns (Fig. 101). The name diaper comes from jasper, through the Low Latin diasprum, Italian diaspro, or French diapre, and was originally applied to woven stuffs from the East. (See Figs. 101, 106, 107, 109 and 110.) These were mostly of silk covered with small patterns in colour, that suggested the appearance of the flowering of jasper.

In vulgar parlance, it is now applied to all patterns enclosed in a repeating geometrical form. Dados in painted decoration were mostly diapered, as may be seen in one of the churches of St. Francis, Assisi; and at the Sainte Chapelle at Paris, the diapers are on painted hangings; at the Arena Chapel at Padua the dado is painted in imitation of marble panels.

Checkers and network enclosing carved patterns are found on the walls of Gothic cathedrals and churches (Figs. 98, 99). When the space covered with checkers, network, or diapers is not too large the patterns should so far resemble one another as to give a uniform appearance, the variations being only enough to prevent disgust on a near view. Two patterns may sometimes alternate, but in very large surfaces another distinct pattern should be introduced, at certain intervals, to relieve the monotony. Care must be taken to make the network and pattern of the proper scale for the building or room, and for the other decoration.

Diapers are found in Chinese and Japanese decoration, although rectilinear network is more common (Fig. 102), but powdering is most favoured by them (Figs. Fig. 103-105). Sometimes it is put over a pattern (Fig. 104). Powdering was, too, a favourite method of ornamenting in the Middle Ages.

The second division is ornament arranged in horizontal bands. The Greeks were pre-eminent in the use of horizontal bands in their sculptured and

painted decorations. The embroidered or woven patterns on their dresses, shawls, and curtains, and the beautiful ornament on their vases, were mainly

designed on this system. The frieze is a characteristic feature in Greek architecture; and if you take the band ornaments out of Greek work there is very little ornament left. Figs. 37, 42, 45, 49, 51, 52, 113,

114, and 115 are some of their favourite band patterns. Figs. 116 and 117 show some of the patterns on dresses taken from the Greek vases. The shawl (peplum) of Demeter on a vase at the British Museum has chariot races, winged cupids, animals, birds, and dolphins in the successive bands; the sacred shawls of Minerva at the Parthenon (pepla) are only known by description. One had the battle of the gods and giants woven or embroidered on it, and another was ornamented with the portraits of Antigonus and Demetrius Poliorcetes (Plutarch’s Demetrius).

Spotting at regular intervals was the favourite way of decorating the larger surface of dresses. The circular flower that usually formed the spot in Greek ornament was composed of a greater number of petals than the Roman, and is probably of Assyrian origin. (See Fig. 116.) Saracen work also affords good examples of horizontal band treatment. (See Figs. Fig. 118 and Fig. 119.)

The third division: perpendicular bands are not so common in decoration as the former class; they are mostly architectural in character, and usually form divisions between wall-spaces in the shape of panels in piers and pilasters. Triglyphs in friezes may even be classed in this division, and so may the soffits of arches in the Classic and Renaissance styles; the decoration of the soffits of beams and of ribs and groins in Gothic, though some purists say it gives a look of weakness to the arch. When the soffits of arches are wide in proportion to their height they may be panelled, and if narrow be treated like pilaster panels, the bottom of each side

Fig. 110.—Diaper in silk brocade. Italian or Spanish, 16th century; formerly used for dress purposes, but now only employed for furniture.