No. 242. Ornamental Treatment of Tendril from Roman Frieze.
Nature Influence
During the Roman development greater variety was introduced in the treatment of leaves and flowers which in many instances display evidence of natural suggestion. The main stems are sometimes twisted, a characteristic of some strongly growing natural types, but this was only a variant of the earlier treatment of decorating the scrolling stem with channels or hollow flutes.
Birds and animals were also used in antique ornament—grotesque combinations of foliage with human and animal forms, and such symbolic monsters as the Gryphon and the Sphinx, were employed with little regard to the original significance. Other symbolic elements, such as wreaths, garlands, festoons, altars, tripods, and urns were also introduced merely for their decorative value and to afford variety.
Symbolic Employment
The modern mind is naturally out of sympathy with forms that have no direct appeal, but it should be considered that these elements were originally not merely the expression of the art of the period, but were also invested in many instances with symbolic meaning. The Roman citizen saw nothing incongruous in decorating a triumphal arch with the chaplet of the victor and trophies of arms.
The later misuse of symbolic elements can only be defended on æsthetic grounds, and is probably undesirable. Without these there is still left sufficient material for beautiful effects. Dull slavish reproduction is not only without interest, but displays lack of inventiveness. It is possible in good hands to utilise the past tradition so as to appeal to modern appreciation.
Consistency in Growth
However arbitrary traditional ornament may appear, there is consistency in the best examples, which display in many details some general observance of the principle of natural growth. There may be no attempt to exploit any known type, the creation being purely artificial; still the association of stem, leaves and flowers is suggestive of natural growth.