Examples of Chinese ornament selected from objects in the South Kensington Museum and other collections

Art Historical Context

Published in 1867, *Examples of Chinese Ornament* represents a key moment in the Victorian era’s growing fascination with global decorative traditions. Compiled with contributions from designer Owen Jones and publishers S. & T. Gilbert, the volume gathers ornamental motifs drawn from Chinese objects then held in the South Kensington Museum (now the Victoria and Albert) and other collections. Jones, already renowned for his influential *Grammar of Ornament* (1856), used such publications to champion the careful study of historical and non-Western patterns as a foundation for modern design. Measuring just over 34 centimeters tall, the book served as both a scholarly reference and a practical resource for artists, manufacturers, and students. Its detailed plates helped introduce Chinese motifs—such as stylized florals, dragons, and geometric interlace—into Western decorative arts at a time when international exhibitions and museum collections were reshaping public taste. Today housed in the Metropolitan Museum’s Libraries, the work underscores the 19th-century belief that ornament from distant cultures could enrich contemporary aesthetics while preserving cultural heritage through careful documentation.

About the Artist

S. & T. Gilbert|Owen Jones (British|British) · 1800 |1809 –1900 |1874

London|British, London 1809–1874 London