Very good article, very necessary. Bringing back ‘details’ as part of function and design as one thing is part of our way back to a holistic experience of life. The amazing Louis Sullivan detail looks like it grew on or up with the building and makes it very sensual and changes the proportional relationship dramatically to bring people and the building closer together, like when one is in nature.
The word cosmos can mean ornament. And ornament comes from order, which is linked in PIE to ars - to join, as in art.
cosmos(n.)
c. 1200, "the universe, the world" (but not popular until 1848, when it was taken as the English equivalent to Humboldt's Kosmos in translations from German), from Latinized form of Greek kosmos "order, good order, orderly arrangement," a word with several main senses rooted in those notions: The verb kosmein meant generally "to dispose, prepare," but especially "to order and arrange (troops for battle), to set (an army) in array;" also "to establish (a government or regime);" "to deck, adorn, equip, dress" (especially of women). Thus kosmos had an important secondary sense of "ornaments of a woman's dress, decoration" (compare kosmokomes "dressing the hair," and cosmetic) as well as "the universe, the world."
c. 1200, ournement, "an accessory; something that serves primarily for use but also may serve as adornment; ornamental apparel, jewels," from Old French ornement "ornament, decoration," and directly from Latin ornamentum "apparatus, equipment, trappings; embellishment, decoration, trinket," from ornare "to equip, adorn," from stem of ordo "row, rank, series, arrangement" (see order (n.)).
The sense shift in English to "something employed simply to adorn or decorate, something added as an embellishment, whatever lends grace or beauty to that to which it is added or belongs" is by late 14c. (this also was a secondary sense in classical Latin). Meaning "outward appearance, mere display" is from 1590s. The figurative use is from 1550s; the meaning "one who adds luster to one's sphere or surroundings" is from 1570s.
ornament(v.)
"to adorn, deck, embellish," 1720, from ornament (n.). Middle English used ournen (late 14c.) in this sense, from Old French orner, from Latin ornare.
order(n.)
c. 1200, "body of persons living under a religious discipline," from Old French ordre "position, estate; rule, regulation; religious order" (11c.), from earlier ordene, from Latin ordinem (nominative ordo) "row, line, rank; series, pattern, arrangement, routine," originally "a row of threads in a loom," from Proto-Italic *ordn- "row, order" (source also of ordiri "to begin to weave;" compare primordial), which is of uncertain origin. Watkins suggests it is a variant of PIE root *ar- "to fit together," and De Vaan finds this "semantically attractive."
The original English word reflects a medieval notion: "a system of parts subject to certain uniform, established ranks or proportions," and was used of everything from architecture to angels.
As I looked again at the comment I made I saw something in the last line:
"The original English word reflects a medieval notion: 'a system of parts subject to certain uniform, established ranks or proportions,' and was used of everything from architecture to angels"
and it reminded me of that line from Paul Simon's song "You can call me Al":
"He sees angels in the architecture, spinning in infinity."
This is so interesting. I never thought of ornament as intrinsic to the object, it makes sense. I ask myself "where did ornaments go in architecture" from time to time while walking around Montreal.
Very thought provoking! My own feeling is that Moussavi isn't describing ornament as people actually understand it, and is instead applying the term to aesthetic value in general. Consider how people will describe many things—buildings included—as un-ornamented, while still conceding that they have aesthetic value, good or bad. This suggests ornament as a more specific phenomenon, though admittedly hard to define.
Very good article, very necessary. Bringing back ‘details’ as part of function and design as one thing is part of our way back to a holistic experience of life. The amazing Louis Sullivan detail looks like it grew on or up with the building and makes it very sensual and changes the proportional relationship dramatically to bring people and the building closer together, like when one is in nature.
The word cosmos can mean ornament. And ornament comes from order, which is linked in PIE to ars - to join, as in art.
cosmos(n.)
c. 1200, "the universe, the world" (but not popular until 1848, when it was taken as the English equivalent to Humboldt's Kosmos in translations from German), from Latinized form of Greek kosmos "order, good order, orderly arrangement," a word with several main senses rooted in those notions: The verb kosmein meant generally "to dispose, prepare," but especially "to order and arrange (troops for battle), to set (an army) in array;" also "to establish (a government or regime);" "to deck, adorn, equip, dress" (especially of women). Thus kosmos had an important secondary sense of "ornaments of a woman's dress, decoration" (compare kosmokomes "dressing the hair," and cosmetic) as well as "the universe, the world."
https://www.etymonline.com/word/cosmos
ornament(n.)
c. 1200, ournement, "an accessory; something that serves primarily for use but also may serve as adornment; ornamental apparel, jewels," from Old French ornement "ornament, decoration," and directly from Latin ornamentum "apparatus, equipment, trappings; embellishment, decoration, trinket," from ornare "to equip, adorn," from stem of ordo "row, rank, series, arrangement" (see order (n.)).
The sense shift in English to "something employed simply to adorn or decorate, something added as an embellishment, whatever lends grace or beauty to that to which it is added or belongs" is by late 14c. (this also was a secondary sense in classical Latin). Meaning "outward appearance, mere display" is from 1590s. The figurative use is from 1550s; the meaning "one who adds luster to one's sphere or surroundings" is from 1570s.
ornament(v.)
"to adorn, deck, embellish," 1720, from ornament (n.). Middle English used ournen (late 14c.) in this sense, from Old French orner, from Latin ornare.
order(n.)
c. 1200, "body of persons living under a religious discipline," from Old French ordre "position, estate; rule, regulation; religious order" (11c.), from earlier ordene, from Latin ordinem (nominative ordo) "row, line, rank; series, pattern, arrangement, routine," originally "a row of threads in a loom," from Proto-Italic *ordn- "row, order" (source also of ordiri "to begin to weave;" compare primordial), which is of uncertain origin. Watkins suggests it is a variant of PIE root *ar- "to fit together," and De Vaan finds this "semantically attractive."
The original English word reflects a medieval notion: "a system of parts subject to certain uniform, established ranks or proportions," and was used of everything from architecture to angels.
https://www.etymonline.com/word/ornament
thank you for sharing! Super interesting
As I looked again at the comment I made I saw something in the last line:
"The original English word reflects a medieval notion: 'a system of parts subject to certain uniform, established ranks or proportions,' and was used of everything from architecture to angels"
and it reminded me of that line from Paul Simon's song "You can call me Al":
"He sees angels in the architecture, spinning in infinity."
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b9UcXl6lQgE
This is so interesting. I never thought of ornament as intrinsic to the object, it makes sense. I ask myself "where did ornaments go in architecture" from time to time while walking around Montreal.
Very thought provoking! My own feeling is that Moussavi isn't describing ornament as people actually understand it, and is instead applying the term to aesthetic value in general. Consider how people will describe many things—buildings included—as un-ornamented, while still conceding that they have aesthetic value, good or bad. This suggests ornament as a more specific phenomenon, though admittedly hard to define.
completely agree. I would suggest reading Moussavi's full text, I can send you a pdf if you'd like!
That's a good idea! I'll put it on my reading list. Thanks for the offer of the pdf, but I should be able to find a copy.
Thank you so much David . That is so interesting and really got me thinking
glad you liked it!
the same thing that happened to our mind