Ornament Essay -- History, Kazakh Ornaments

Ornament is one of the oldest forms of decorative art. Its history goes back to thousands of years ago. Translated from the Latin ornamentum, it means â€Å"trappings, adornment, embellishment† (â€Å"Ornament†). However, in its infancy, the ornaments have a deeper meaning. Art critics are trying to decipher ancient images and understand the hidden meaning of signs and symbols. So far, it is believed that the key to understanding many of them have long been lost, and, nevertheless, the interest to the ancient art continues being unabated. Many ornamental motifs were passing from generation to generation, and they have remained almost unchanged for centuries. In ancient times people believed that the iconic images help them communicate with the other world of gods and spirits, and fulfill the role of a mediator between the worlds. Often, ornamental images were â€Å"the impulse to adorn stems from a deep rooted sensibility to mark every occasion of life with auspicious symbols, designs and figures to obtain good fortune and protection from evil† (â€Å"The Ideal of Ornament†). Each nation created its own unique decorative style. The originality and national color can accurately determine its membership of any group. In the East, the art of ornament was most extensively developed, and this is due primarily to the ancient traditions. In the second half of 1000 BC, nomadic tribes in Kazakhstan had Scythian style of ornamentation. According to Wikipedia, it was â€Å"often the central ornaments for shields carried by fighters. In the most notable of these figures, stags are displayed with legs tucked beneath its body, head upright and muscles tight to give the impression of speed† (â€Å"Scythian art†). These figures of fighters signified the victory of the sun... ...ament is important - they should rotate in a certain order. The indiscriminate distribution of colors even in the original ornament can make it gray and expressionless. â€Å"White background on goods or on the main figure of ornament is a symbol of the white path of truth and happiness. Red color is a fire, scorching power of the sun and love, black color for the power, majesty and well-being† (Turganbayeva). Blue has always been a symbol of heaven, yellow is the symbol of wisdom or sorrow, and green is a symbol of youth and spring. During the centuries, the ideas of the ancient art carefully preserved and passed down from teacher to student. That way, it has become a tradition, and ornaments preserved to our days. A wide variety of decorative styles and motifs have been developed for architecture and the applied arts, including pottery, furniture, metalwork (Art).