Origin and Development of Form and Ornament in Ceramic Art. / Fourth Annual Report of the Bureau of Ethnology to the Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution, 1882-1883, Government Printing Office, Washington, 1886, pages 437-466.

Name: Origin and Development of Form and Ornament in Ceramic Art. / Fourth Annual Report of the Bureau of Ethnology to the Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution, 1882-1883, Government Printing Office, Washington, 1886, pages 437-466.
Author: William Henry Holmes

By William Henry Holmes

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Archaeology & Anthropology Art

About This Book

The author examines how ceramic shapes and surface decoration arise and evolve through adoption of forms from other objects, imitation, and inventive modification. Functional and constructional features—coils, handles, rims, basketry impressions—are shown to suggest motifs and guide ornament, while accidental marks, pictorial or ideographic subjects, and material or production techniques further alter appearance. Sequential examples and theoretical derivations illustrate how utilitarian elements become abstracted into repeated motifs like scrolls and bands, and how form, medium, and method interact to produce the varieties of ceramic form and ornament found in early and traditional pottery.

About the Author

William Henry Holmes

William Henry Holmes was an American archaeologist and ethnologist known for his significant contributions to the study of Native American art and culture. He served as a prominent figure in the Bureau of Ethnology, where he published numerous reports that explored various aspects of ancient American artifacts. His notable works include "A Study of the Textile Art in Its Relation to the Development of Form and Ornament," which examines the evolution of textile arts in relation to cultural expression. Holmes's research has been instrumental in understanding the artistic traditions of indigenous peoples, particularly in the context of pottery and textile arts.