Lecture I.

§ 1.—THE ELEMENTS OF DECORATION.

The chief impelling Motives which have caused that treatment of objects which is now termed Decorative, have been:

(a) That necessitated by the Usage, which is FUNCTIONAL;

(b) That resulting from the Instinct to please the eye, which is ÆSTHETIC;

(c) That arising from the Desire to record or to teach, which is the DIDACTIC motive;

The ÆSTHETIC instinct of the early peoples was gratified by:

(a) The forms of their weapons or tools;

(b) The patterns with which they are decorated;

(c) The imitation of the surrounding animals, e.g. the Deer scratched on the horn at the British Museum.