First published in Paris in 1885 as L'Ornement Polychrome, Deuxieme Serie, the coverage in this volume is global in scope. The first plates present the most vibrant examples of ornamental art from the great empires and their civilizations. From Rome, Byzantium, China and Arabia, colours and motifs can be compared in all their extravagance and beauty. In this volume is the representation of ornament from Eastern Europe: painted enamelling from the Ottoman Empire, illumi¬nated manuscripts from Armenia, and designs exemplifying the 'rhythmical logic' which Racinet perceived as the principle underlying centuries of Russian ornament. The remaining plates discover the evolution of ornament century by century. Particularly noteworthy is the resplendent jewellery, stained glass and marginal decoration of the Renais-sance and the Middle Ages.

Racinet's introduction and detailed plate captions explain the importance of image and medium, from the essentially spiritual Egyptian symbols of the natural world to the `intense' tones of nineteenth century floral designs printed on wool muslin. Accompanying line drawings help to clarify the process of identification and definition at work in the text.