3,000 Decorative Patterns of the Ancient World

112 Pages·1986·13.537 MB·English

by  W. M. Flinders Petrie

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Flinders Petrie
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DECORATIVE
AND
SYMBOLS MOTIFS
FOR ARTISTS AND CRAFTSPEOPLE
3064 Copyright-free Designs from the Ancient World
rp'o^^

DPXORATIXE
SYMBOLS AND MOTIFS
for artists and
craftspp:ople

DECORATIVE
AND
SYMBOLS MOTIFS
AND
FOR ARTISTS
CRAFTSPEOPLE
3064 Copyright-free Designs from the Ancient World
FLINDERS PETRIE
Dover Publications, Inc., New\(:)rk
ThisDoveredition, firstpublishedin 1986, isan
unabridged republication of the work originally
published, underthetitleDecorativePatternsofthe
AncientWorld,bytheBritishSchoolofArchaeologyin
EgyptandBernardQuaritch,London,in1930.
DOVER'TidorialoArchtveseries
ThisbookbelongstotheDoverPictorialArchive
Series.Youmayusethedesignsandillustrationsfor
graphics and crafts applications, free and without
specialpermission,providedthatyouincludenomore
than ten in the^ame publication or project. (For
permissionforadditionaluse,pleasewritetoDover
Publications,Inc.,31East2ndStreet.Mineola,N.Y.
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However,republicationorreproductionofanyillus-
trationbyanyothergraphicservicewhetheritbeina
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prohibited.
ManufacturedintheUnitedStatesofAmerica
DoverPublications,Inc.,31East2ndStreet,
Mineola,NY. 11501
LibraryofCongressCataloging-in-PublicationData
Petrie, W. M. Flinders (William MatthewFlinders),
Sir,1853-1942.
Decorative symbols and motifs for artists and
craftspeople.
Reprint. Originallypublished: Decorativepatterns
of the ancient world. London; British School of
ArcheologyinEgypt, 1930.
1. Decoration and ornament. Ancient—Themes,
motives.I.Title
NK1I80.P4 1986 745.4'41 85-46072
ISBN0-486-22986-6
DECORATIVE PATTERNS
OF THE
ANCIENT WORLD
The purpose of this collection is historical, and presumption of a real connection between the
anyintereststhatitmayclaim byracialcharacters designers. This may be due to descent, which
or charms of form are only by the way. It stands will—revive a forgotten style afterit has been over-
as a first outline of an index to all the decorative laid hke Late Celtic, under Louis Quinze (see
imaginings of man. The subject is boundless, and LY 96); or it may be a racial movement, like
towait forcompletion would barany useful result. the spread—of Hellenism in Asia; or by trade
This beginning of an arrangement of the matter connections as the Mykenaean style in Egypt,
will serve for sorting new material into a form or Chinese in England; or it may be owing to the
cinonswulhtiecdh. it can be compared, registered and lRaobmouarnofworckapti(vseese,LlYike66t,he68f;oreiWgZn m2o),tivoersthien
The limitations of the subject in this volume plait borders unknown at Pompeii, which appear
are where it would trench on ground which is after the Dacian war.
sufficiently known already. The course of civiliza- In selecting examples, it seems best to avoid
tions since a.d. iooo are so far familiar that the mere intricacy of overloading a basic motive,
artistic connections would not add to our history where no additional idea is added; where such
of events; the architectural studies of capitals were brought in, it is better to simplify them if
and mouldings are so many that they form an too elaborate, as the real motive may be hidden
entire subject, well-worked, which would over- by irrelevant complication. We do not look for
balancethegeneralhistoryofdecorationifincluded hyperbolesin an index.
here; the whole theory of interlacing (ACM) orthe Thematerialsubjectofadesignisonlyincidental
enormous mass of mosaics in the Roman world to the quest for motives, whether it be drawn
seldom add a new form; the many long trails of from utility, such as basketry or netting, or from
degradationofforms,human,animal,andvegetable, beautyasin plant forms, orfrom reUgioussymbols
are usually of little value, as such subjects may as the cross or swastika, or from art and man's
equally well be adoptedby any people, and simpli- device. The scale is immaterial to the nature
fication usually follows. Geographically this series of the form, and only convenience of size and of
is limited to Europe and Western Asia, with their detail is followed here. In selection, the earUest
links to other lands, but ignoring designs which examples are always taken, after them the most
are special to Siberia, Chin,a, or India. widely spread, and variants which may be found
The value of decoration, historically, is due to elsewhere, also any unusually late examples. The
its having no stimulus of necessity. Where an mere repetitions of common types in a country
invention is obviously needed, man will repeatedly are needless for our purpose.
invent on much the same lines, to meet hiswants. Thenumberingisdesignedtoallowofthelargest
But there is no general need fulfiUed by drawing a amount of expansion without irregularity; thus
spiral, rather than a triangle or an octopus. There between3 and4cancome31 to39.
is great diversity of fertility—in different peoples; The first entry in the reference, beneath each
some abound in fresh ideas like the Cretans or drawing, is that of date; if known, in years, it is
Adpeuvilcieasn—s,asothtehres aBraebylilmointieadnstootrwoChoirnetsher.ee stTohcek satlaotneedisaskn+owfno,rta.hde.moirdd—lefodratBe.Ci.senItfetrhede.ceWnhtuerny
historic connections of design that can be traced, no definite date is found, a guess has been made
with due regard to place and period, give a strong from the general circumstances, as being better
than nothing, and is marked with a query. The in print. A plate should explain itself as far as
widerdi\asionsarebyEgyptiandynastiesinRoman possible, andnotbeissuedinthedignityofsilence.
numerals,orbytheMinoanseries,orbytheagesof I have looked forward to doing this work for
Neohthic,Bronze,andIron. Thenearestequivalents the last thirty years, and prepared for it. The
are stated in a table, on the first page of plates. selection and pencilling are on my own responsi-
The secondentry isthe name of the place, when bility, and most of the inking in; some inking
it is recorded; if obscure, the region is quoted, was done by other hands, and the shields and
as the detail can be seen in the original work. natural plants are mostly due to Miss Phyllis
The third entry is that of the source, extracted Gardner's brush work. Any spare space in a plate
from over two hundred and fifty works, including is left as a blank for making additions.
manylongseries. Theabbreviationsaregivenin a Thosewhosepurposeisnothistorical,butartistic,
list. Commoner pubhcations have been preferred, will be aided by the references to the original
as being easier for verification. Arabic numerals sources which they require; the sketches here
arethoseoffigures,ifinasinglebook,asatranslation are merely an index.
will retain those numbers; they denote pages, I hope that every twenty years or so, supple-
if in a serial. Roman numerals are for volumes mentary plates will be issued by other workers
(capitals) and plates (small). after me, and that a flood of new connections
It is needless to write obvious conclusions which will result from discoveries.so much needed in the
are seen on looking at the classified e.xamples. Middle East. This corpus is a preparation for the
Necessary notes of new conclusions and ideas co-ordinating of all the new material.
are sometimes put on the plates or, if long, are
NOTES.
Pis. I-III. Hero subduing Animals. The general PI.V. Animals. Thetwosnake-headedmonsters,
idea of the A class is that of a controlling deity, BK 2, 4, certainly passed from Sumer to Egypt.
which dominates the strongest powers of Nature, The dugong, BM 3, was the figure of Ea the
represented by hons, bulls, or horses. This god of wisdom, who rose from the Persian Gulf;
s\TTibolism originated in Elam or Iraq, and thence it was corrupted in Assyria, as BM 5; thence
penetrated westward, mainly through Assyrian it passed, under Assyrian influence in the north,
influence. The Gilgamesh series, AD, is a special to Denmark, M 8. The Glutton head, BN 2,
form of this idea, but was linked with the rest. is the main figure in Chinese decoration, where
The female t3rpe is Ishtar, AN, passing into it degraded until formalised as N 4. The twisted
Astarte, AR, mixed with the Mother tvpe of snakes type is earhest in Egj'pt, BP 2, 3, but
Cybele, AP 8, and the Earth goddess, AP 3, 6. strangely survives along with rosettes in India,
In the West this passes into a deity dominating P 5. The form of about 2000 B.C., P i, has a
wolves, AU, or birds, AV, the most intractable centralstaffwhichbringsitnearertotheCaduceus.
creatures. The two swords with guardedgrips are the earliest
PL l\. Animals. The type of two sphinxes, or thatweknow, Pi.
animals, with a middle column seems to start PI. VI. VaseandAnimals. This type originated
from Greece, and was continued late there, BA 8. in a Bacchic group, BT 2. with it a vase and
With amiddletree it begins in Egypt, F I, under plant became associated, V 2 to 5. NextWa vase
Elamite influence; it is early in Iraq, BF 2; of fruit appears with birds of any kind, 2, 4.
from Asia it came into Egj-pt, EC 8. Pairs of The peacock waWs placed in decoration in China
lions without a pillar appear early in Elam, BJ; before this age, 3, and first appears in western
andsphinxesin the West, BG. sculpture, on the porphyry sarcophagus of
Constantia, a.d. 330. At 560 it became usually who did not understand it, EM 3, which may be
placed with the vase and plant. called-the bowl type. This went through \v%stem
firsPtI.abVoIIu.t —A1n5i0m0a,lCFBor1m2s;. thTihsepltariinskegleeomaeptpreiacrasl sitnatgoeastthililrditfobremc,aEmeTE2,S3.4, 5T,he6n, tahnisdratnhetnhrgoruegwh
form, CB 60-75, precedes the development as a thousand years of classical varieties until it
human legs, CD. A Roman version was the disappeared as EY 7, 8, 9. A detailed account
development as dragons' heads, CF. The C—hinese of the development was issued in Ancient Egypt,
dragonseemstobecopiedfromabird,about 1000, 1929,p. 65.
CH 2; it passed under Norse influence, CH 6 PI. XIII. Palmetto. The palmetto was brought
(see MQ 3, 6, 84), and became denaturahsed, into Egypt by 2800 B.C., FA i, and Emblems 20,
CH 8. The—Nautilus passed through various pl. LXXXV. It was greatly developed in Ass}ma,
stages since 1800, C—N 2. The shell is reduced, insertedinvolutecapitals,FB2,4,5,6,andadapted
the arms formal, by 1300. Later the shell was to runningborders, FC. The Greek typescombine
tchaememadionwnobtjoec—t,50w0i,thCOth7r.eeVaarrimosu,soCthOer2m,arainnde tahedeagcraandtehdusfolreamf,ofFDt,hewliitlhy, tFhDe l5o,tutshrseteansduibnjgecotns
animals are difficult to identify. in one. PI. XV. FormalFlowers. The fleur-de-lis
PI—. VIII. Octopus. The naturahsti—c type, CR 2, formisin Japan, EG 3, almost as early as among
of 1800 became regularised by 1600, CR 3, the Franks, see QK 4. It did not enter Italy
and formal soon after, CR 5. The eight-armed indecorationtillthePapalAlhancewiththeFranks
form was revived in the Dipylon ware, CR 8, against the Lombards in +776, and probably
andseemstohavepenetratedtothebackofChina, vanishedfromarchitectureafterCharlemagne. The
CR 9, where it is less likely to have been re- development of the lily with curled and spiral
invented from th—e coast. The four-armed type petals, FH i, 2, is important for dating this form
soonarose,about 14—00,CT2,4,5. Thenthetwo- to 1500 B.C., when it was removed on the way
armedwhichlastedto 1300. Theperiodoftransfer to Britain, 23, 56. PI. XVIII. The foHage forms
ooff tshiemptliyfpyeinag—b;roatod iSspatihnusbiynd—ic1a5t0e0d,btyotBhreitsttaangye sFeUem3,to4.pasTshefrodmevealcoapnmtehunst toofwfiolldiaggee,raFnViu6m, i7n,
by perhaps 1200, CU g. Other forms are of in +800, wasgrowingintoa skirl in -I-750, FV i,
doubtful origin, CX. and -1-825, FV 3, and became disconnected from
thePI.earIlXie.st tNyapteusraloifstdieccoPrlaatnitosn., inPlFarnatncfe,ormDsMarie, thePI.braXnIcXh.byAr-fa-b8e4s0q,ueFsV. 8.These start in —300,
2, and in Egypt, DM 30-66, at the beginning developingabractatthefork of a branch, GB 12,
of prehistoric art. As no magic powers can be into a calix form, GB 16, 2. In the Praetextatus
supposed to be gained by this variety of species, catacomb, -|-180, there was a real reversion to
they warn us against seeing magic intent in the Nature, unique in such work, GB 4, 5. The
frequent forms of animals; the taste for beauty arabesquebecamestandardised foraU apsemosaics
will produce one as well as the other. oftheIV-XIIcenturies. TheDacianforminGB9
PI. X. Lotus. The lotus was but little varied may have started the Chinese Han type, GC 3 to
in Egypt, and it spread mostly from the Assyrian 8. PI. XX. Syrian. Another strong design was
form, DR 4; from this it entered Cyprus and the Syrian vine border, GE 2, 3, which grew
the West, also passinginto Scythia, DR 9. into the fine school of the Ilnd century, GE 7, 8.
bCryePti—se.1a4bX0oI0u,,tEX—ICI2.0300(s;LeielEyF.AH2,Ti,h5e.2),lIitalybnedwcalasomsetaftdooorpnmtaaethdusreeid,n cTfehoniutsnudrwyabsyttoaa.kdte.hne1u3p0L,obwayenrdRoRmphaiesn,see,dGGEtEh5u,s4,wih6ne.rtehTehite1rsiets
EC 7. In Syria it passed to a different tj^e, naturalised, it was carried by the Anglian invasion
BC 8, which was fully t—reated, as a botanical into England, and it is found upon the North-
exposition at Amama, in 1370. Theretheparts umbrian crosses, GG 2, 3, 4. The strength of
were clearly set out, ED 2, the pistils (marked P), the northern connection appears by the type of
theanthers(A),thecalyx(C),andthespathewitha the natural interlacing of +750, as seen atOtley,
withered tip (S). These parts continued to be being copied unnaturaOy in Russia by -f1234.
distinguishedwhentheformwasborrowed in other With this design in use on the Lower Rhine, there
lands, down to the Hittite form, EK 7. At this is no need to look to Syrian monks as bringing it
stage it underwent a formahsing by the Assyrians, to the Anglians.
PL XXI. Symmetric. The translation of formal LM II. PL XXXIV. The C Spiral begins with
plant design, GJ 3, 4, to Persia, GJ 5, and LM ig, and seems to rise later than the S form.
CBhuitnat,heGJHa6n, isstylper,obGaKbly5,dmuuesttobeRodmuaentoinfAlsuseynrcoe-. aItbouits —the340e0a.rliePstL iXnXXEVgIypIt.ianLatheisFtoorrym,s.orSpMiral7,s
Persian influence earlier, as in GK 4, which became fragmentary in Scythia and the north,
entered Russia. PI. XXII. Foliage Borders. For LQ. A peculiar decoration with parallel lines
the Persian affinity of the Moselle work, GQ 6, of curve, LR, spread from south Russia, just
andpi.LXXXVI,70,83,andLN71, 75, see Notes reached Mykenae about 1600, but was otherwise
LXXXVI. all northern, and spread to China. R 9 and 95
PLXXV. Rosettes. ThepatternonthisPompeian are examples of false spirals, merely circles.
potter's stamp, HC 2, so closely resembled the Pis. XXXVIII, XXXIX. British. The C spiral
Egyptian rosette, HC 3, as to suggest that a was settled in the British Isles, and the form ofit,
piece of old Egyptian design had been brought united with the lily with curved petals (extracted
overin agrain ship to Puteoli, and copied. at the side of—LS 56), comes from the flower,
PL XXVII. Inanimate. The hills with plants FH I, 2, of 1500. The tru—mpet spiral was
andflowers,JB1-7,are an interesting development started in Crete, LV 4, about 1500 or earlier;
of scenery in 1400 B.C. The radiate pattern, it had passed to Britain by about -|-100, LX 4,
JE6, isanextraordinaryunion of7 and 13points. andwaseagerly developed later in Britain, LX 5,
PL XXVIII. Radiate. The most glorious radiate 7, and Ireland, LX 8, 9. The use in Britain was
form is the sun on JQ 6, a yeOow disc, with red long before the period of Irish missions, and its
centre, shining yellow rays and spangles of light arrival must have been in the Bronze Age,—before
on a blue ground. itvanishedfromthe south, probably about 1500
PL XXIX. Spirals. The spiral begins before whenotherspiralpatternsweretransmitted. These
the Neolithic age in the Pyrenees, at the Azilian spirals were here a thousand years before the
period, LA 8, LB 6, 10. Perhaps of the same Celts, who adopted what they found here already.
age is that in Egypt of the prehistoric (Amratian) The inflated style, LW, may be due to Celtic
period, LA 13, which suggests a coil of thorny taste in each case, as it does not appear before
chmbing plant, see LXXXV, 32, 33. On the that people. How usual spirals were for common
neolithic Danubian pottery, the crossing bands on purposes is seen in LX 98, 99, on objects in use.
the spiral suggest that it represented a bundle PL XL. spiral Blobs. The blob form, LY
of grass stems, tied at intervals to make it stiff belongstothe North, alatergrowthofthebulbous,
for construction, LA 26, 28. In either case, it LV, and inflated, LW. It entirely disappeared
was of flexible vegetable origin, before it became after the Roman age, but revived by racial taste
formahsed. ThefullgraspofitwasintheaenoUthic, under Louis Ouinze, LY 96, and infected the
with the noble types, LA 58, 63. The S spiral jewellery and furniture of that time. It appears
was as early as the whorl, LB 6, 10. PL XXX. on Roman lamps, Y 67, 68, probably due to the
TheLooped 5 S is also aenoUthic, LC 16, 18, 20. employment of the Gaulish captives of Caesar in
PL XXXI. S Continuous. The multiple band the Roman potteries. Thejoiningofspirals with a
was favoured in Russia and Scandinavia, LC 60, circle (often with double centres) in Britain is
b68e,lon70g,s 7t4o, t9h4,e 9s5o,uth9,6; LwChil6e2,th6e4,sp6o6t;tedLMban2d. pitrceo-nRtoimnaune,d iLnZto; tthheenLionfdiRsofamranne waogrek,inLLXX54.,and
In Egypt, the circular spiral, C 86, 87, is of the PL XLVI. Interlacing Designs belong originally
iXsIlaatenrdienartlhyeXXIIII,dbyuntastwya,s stthaertoevdali,nCUr88a,t8a9n, tboyNtohrewAanyg,liManNin2,vas3i;onthinetnocenotrhtehyEwnegrlaendb,rouNgh4t,
earlier date, LJ 5; it was secondary in Egypt. 5, 54, 6, 66. They do not appear in Ireland till a
The S with two sprigs,—LD 14, or flowers, D 41, later date, and they have no relation to the Celts,
—28, 49, 56, began in 2500, and extended to as plaits enter the British Isles a thousand years
1500, LD56. It wascarried west and modified later than the Celts. Similar angular interlacing,
—at New Gran—ge, dated on the Irish side between as in rush work, entered Italy with the Lombards,
dat2i0n0g0.anPdL X1X5X00I.I.ThiBsanadc.cordTshewitbhantdhewiCnrdeitnagn waintdhnoctirecaurlUaerrc(uMrvNes7,,73p,ar7t6l,y79b).y I+t7w0a0s,coMmNbin5e4d,
round centres, LE 3, similarly passed to the west and completely by +825, MO 2. From Milan,
and reached Denmark, LE 7, 9, in the same age. O 4, +880, it passed to Ireland +924. It