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Initial from a German manuscript. 12th century. (Dolmetsch.) 
INTRODUCTION. 
ightly understood, the conformation of an ornament should be in keeping with
the form and structure, 
of the object which it adorns, should be in complete subordination to it,
and should never stifle or conceal it. As' varied and as manysided as it
may be, still, the Art of ornamentation is never an arbitrary one; besides
depending on the form of the 
 object, it is influenced also by the nature of the material of which the
same is made, as well as by the style or manner in which natural objects
are reproduced in ornamentation by different peoples at different times.
The 
art of ornamentation, therefore, stands in intimate relationship with material,
purpose, form, and style. The oldest forms of ornamentation consisted of
geometric figures, small circles, bands, straight and curved lines, &c,
all of which were drawn with categorical regularity and according to a certain
rhythm. With the advance in the intellectual development of mankind, artists
acquired more technical skill, and ventured even to make use of animals,
plants, and, finally, of the human figure itself for ornamental purposes.
A plant or a living being can be employed in ornamentation in two ways, firstly,
just as it is formed by nature—which is naturalistic Ornament, and
secondly, in a form which reflects the spirit of the times, 
SPELTZ. Styles of Ornament.