This is a Victorian typographic border. The different elements of the border would have been pieced together from metal forms, just as type was also set by hand.
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| Smithsonian Magazine |
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| dupuis.ca |
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| Decorative Antique Ironwork | D'allemagne |
These are storefront tiles from Ybor City, in Tampa, Florida.
Pompeian fresco
My entire series of Greek key designs can be found on my side bar — just look for the brown stele.
My entire series of Greek key designs can be found on my side bar — just look for the brown stele.
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Hello Mark:
ReplyDeleteWhat a delightful selection of Greek key designs you show here.One might, perhaps, easily overlook some of these Greek key designs amongst the overall decoration of the piece in question. This has made us make a mental note to ourselves to keep on the lookout as we think that one may find these motifs more often than one imagines and in the least suspected of places.
Hello Jane and Lance:
DeleteI find, as perhaps you do, that writing and creating a blog has heightened my observation. I've always loved Greek keys, but now that I wish to share them, I tend to see more of them!
Love the ring.
ReplyDeleteIt's interesting to see something that is at once both classic and contemporary.
DeleteI wonder if the X's on the woman's fillet represent the tops of pyramidal jewels or metalwork instead of two-dimensional decoration.
ReplyDeleteI recall using those typographical borders. Some were mitered so that the design was continuous like the one you show. More common were decorative corner blocks called 'flowers' that made the type easier to set without a lot of cutting and adjusting, and which provided their own characteristic look.
I am crazy about that iron escutcheon plate, with its interplay between the curving plant forms and the squared-off key/fretwork elements.
--Road to Parnassus
Hello, Parnassus,
DeleteOver the years, I've collected a lot of books on printers' type and frames, and I have had the occasion several times to set type by hand, the way Ben Franklin did. I still own what printers termed a job stick — perhaps you are familiar with that.
I love the iron plate, too. I wonder whether it might have come from a piece of chinoiserie?
A very interesting set of Greek Key designs Mark.
ReplyDeleteShowing Greek Key designs from antiquity right up to the modern era displays what is so timeless about the design - its modernity, and its simplicity.
I wonder what the ancient Greeks would think if they knew that we regularly resort to their most important symbol which I believe represented infinity and unity to them?
Dear Rosemary, I did not know that the Greek key design represented infinity and unity, but it makes perfect sense. I do know that the design is associated with the river Maiandros, from which we get the word meander. Sometimes the key design is refered to as a "meander."
DeleteDear Mark - I know that you have the National Trust Emile de Bruijn on your sidebar. You might be interested to see a wonderful Parisian Egyptian Revival porcelain stand that he has just posted with some exquisite greek key design work around the base.
DeleteDear Rosemary - That key is stunning in color, and I thank you for calling it to my attention. I will ask permission to use it for the No. 8 posting, and your comment has gotten me to thinking that I should do a posting completely related to the Greek key as it's used with Egyptian art. Thanks for the nudge!
DeleteDear Mark, This is my favorite Key design post yet. And my favorite featured design is the decorative 18th c. Keyhole Plate. The design is brilliant.
ReplyDeleteDear Gina, There's something about the design of that keyhole plate that is very pleasing — I think it's that it's simultaneously whimsical and elegant.
DeleteMark - I just clicked on your sidebar: W-O-W! Your hand painted Greek key base border is pretty cool. You are insane, LOL! Just kidding......patient, precise and artistic is more like it.
ReplyDeleteI love the rhythm and grid like structure of Greek keys....such a handsome motif, especially on neoclassical style antiques.
Loi
Hi, Loi - The rooms in my house that have that Greek key at the baseboard were all originally gray walls (the lighter color of the key). When it was time to repaint the walls, there was no way that I was going to cover all that work, so my color choice of yellow hinged a lot on what would look well with that gray key.
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