Principles of decorative design . s Kgure, that the interstices between certain portions of thecreature are tilled by a is well — the wholething being an ornament,and not a naturalistic repre-sentation. Fig. IS is a Siamesegrotesque head, and a finesample it is of the curiousform of ornament which itrepresents. IMark, it is inno way a copy of a humanhead, but is a true orna-ment, with its parts so ar-ranged as to call up the ideao£ a face, and nothing the volutes formingthe chin ; the grotesque, yethighly ornamental, linesforming the mouth and theupper boundary of the for
Principles of decorative design . s Kgure, that the interstices between certain portions of thecreature are tilled by a is well — the wholething being an ornament,and not a naturalistic repre-sentation. Fig. IS is a Siamesegrotesque head, and a finesample it is of the curiousform of ornament which itrepresents. IMark, it is inno way a copy of a humanhead, but is a true orna-ment, with its parts so ar-ranged as to call up the ideao£ a face, and nothing the volutes formingthe chin ; the grotesque, yethighly ornamental, linesforming the mouth and theupper boundary of the fore-head, and the flambeauantears; the whole thing isworthy of the most carefulstudy. Fig. 19 is a Gothic foli-ated face ; but here we havefeatures which are much toonaturalistic. We have, in-deed, only a hideous humanface with a marginal ex-crescence of leafage. Thisis a type to be avoided; itis not di-oll, nor quaint; butis simply unpleasant to lookupon. Fig. 20 is a fish, with the feeling of the grotesques of the Middle It a good type, being truly ornamental, and yet sutticieutly suggestive. In order that I convey to the reader a fuller idea of my views respecting the 28 PRINCIPLES OF DESIGN. grotesque than I otherwise could, I have sketched one or two original ilhistrations—•Fig. 21 being suggestive of a face, Fig. 22 of a skeleton (old bogey), and Pig. 26of an impossible animal. They are inten-tionally far from imitative. If naturalisticsome would awaken a sense of pain, as theyare contorted into curious positions, whereasthat which induces no thought of feelinginduces no sense of pain. Of all grotesques with which I am ac-quainted, the dragons of the Chinese and
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