Vintage Ornaments and Cultural Patterns, Volume Two: Vintage Chinese and Japanese Ornaments

Unlike Volume One of Vintage Ornaments and Cultural Patterns, which features designs from around the world, as well as from different eras, Volume Two focuses exclusively on Far East designs. In this volume, we share the ornaments and patterns that represent the distinct graphical languages of China and Japan. In the first section, we journey through a beautiful selection of patterns, ornaments and designs that often reflect the sacred within the context of the common. The Chinese make heavy use of floral patterns in their designs, often expressed in ornate, exquisite detail. You will find beautiful repeating patterns, intricate borders and my personal favorites, the monochromatic blue designs. The second section presents Japanese wood block designs taken from a 19th Century catalog of Kimono Patterns. While the designs are not as intricate as the Chinese designs by Owen Jones, they still offer important insights into the language of patterns and storytelling with design. Whether you choose to just enjoy the designs contained in this book as beautiful works of art, or decide to incorporate them into your own artistic expressions, may you be blessed by the heritage and passion of those great artists!