ON THE EVOLUTION OF FORMS OF ORNAMENT.

[Footnote: From a paper by Prof. Jacobsthal in the _Transactions_ of the
Archæological Society of Berlin.--_Nature_.]


The statement that modern culture can be understood only through a study of
all its stages of development is equally true of its several branches.

Let us assume that decorative art is one of these. It contains in itself,
like language and writing, elements of ancient and even of prehistoric
forms, but it must, like these other expressions of culture, which are
forever undergoing changes, adapt itself to the new demands which are made
upon it, not excepting the very arbitrary ones of fashion; and it is owing
to this cause that, sometimes even in the early stages of its development,
little or nothing of its original form is recognizable. Investigations the
object of which is to clear up this process of development as far as
possible are likely to be of some service; a person is more likely to
recognize the beauties in the details of ornamental works of art if he has
an acquaintance with the leading styles, and the artist who is freed from
the bondage of absolute tradition will be put into a better position to
discriminate between accidental and arbitrary and organic and legitimate
forms, and will thus have his work in the creation of new ones made more
easy for him.

Hence I venture to claim some measure of indulgence in communicating the
results of the following somewhat theoretical investigations, as they are
not altogether without a practical importance. I must ask the reader to