- Ornament has been central to Western culture for thousands of years, and surrounds us every day, whether on buildings, clothes and accessories, cars or corporate products. Behind this desire to decorate lies a need to give meaning to the things we make and live with: to make them distinctive and give them added value."The V&A Book of Western Ornament" tells the story of European ornament from 1450 to the present, from its decorative origins to its relevance in the consumer culture of today.