Whole document restricted, see Access Instructions file below for details of how to access the print copy. / How meaning is articulated, suggested or repressed in transition processes is an inherently social phenomenon. The history of theorising about ornament bears evidence to this as much as do current practices of ornamentation. From myths, as narratives of meaning, to ‘mere ornament’ – the various signifying practices (and forms of life within which they take place) determine how meaning changes. People will perceive such change differently, depending on their perspectives and circumstances and, under certain conditions, change can be conceived of as loss. This thesis, in its theoretical part, explores issues pertaining to meaning and ornament in epistemology, philosophy, sociology, semiotics, aesthetics and psychoanalysis. In its practical part it seeks to make connections with signifying practices involving ornament in the life-worlds of users, the use of ornament in public buildings, bicultural relationships involving appropriation or misappropriation, and the education of designers in New Zealand. For that, data derived from four empirical research projects are presented and theorised. In the fourth part, theories and practices are brought together to shed light on struggles with ornamental meaning in the past and in the present. Theories, with their classification of myths, symbols and ornament, ignore wide ranges of signifying practices and privilege some form of significations at the expense of others. Because of their separation from the language- games and forms of life of ornamental practice, they often fail to grasp issues that are important to non-theorists. All the research projects demonstrated that the large majority of participants like and relate to ornament. They also showed, however, that Pakeha traditions of ornament are not only perceived to have suffered the same historical rupture as those in the West but also that the theoretical discreditation upon which they were based was used as a tool of oppression when applied to Maori art. Attempts to explain bicultural practices of appropriation or misappropriation without reference to the history of colonisation and present power configurations must fail. Whether or not a cultural image retains or loses its meaning depends on factors such as knowledge, understanding, relationality and co-operation. If culture is, however, treated as a resource for commodification – as it is by the culture industries – cultural elements are subjected to rules inherent in marketing and capitalist economies and their meaning is deliberately changed. Those who ought to be able to deal competently with these issues (designers and other cultural intermediaries) receive little in their education to prepare them for the ornamental strategies and tactics of their future clients. The academic environment is still largely determined by modernist agendas, and ornament as a topic and as practice – continues to be repressed. If a meaningful ornamental language and practice relevant to Aotearoa is to be shared, created, and sustained the divisions between theory and the life-world need to be interrogated; the distance through an assumed superiority of Pakeha to Maori history, culture and people relinquished; and a type of conversation must commence that takes seriously the Treaty of Waitangi as the founding document of this country. The partnership concept of this document facilitates conversation about differential positions and rules and can ‘take us out of our old selves by the power of strangeness, to aid us in becoming new beings’ (Rorty, 1980: 289).

Whole document restricted, see Access Instructions file below for details of how to access the print copy. / How meaning is articulated, suggested or repressed in transition processes is an inherently social phenomenon. The history of theorising about ornament bears evidence to this as much as do current practices of ornamentation. From myths, as narratives of meaning, to ‘mere ornament’ – the various signifying practices (and forms of life within which they take place) determine how meaning changes. People will perceive such change differently, depending on their perspectives and circumstances and, under certain conditions, change can be conceived of as loss. This thesis, in its theoretical part, explores issues pertaining to meaning and ornament in epistemology, philosophy, sociology, semiotics, aesthetics and psychoanalysis. In its practical part it seeks to make connections with signifying practices involving ornament in the life-worlds of users, the use of ornament in public buildings, bicultural relationships involving appropriation or misappropriation, and the education of designers in New Zealand. For that, data derived from four empirical research projects are presented and theorised. In the fourth part, theories and practices are brought together to shed light on struggles with ornamental meaning in the past and in the present. Theories, with their classification of myths, symbols and ornament, ignore wide ranges of signifying practices and privilege some form of significations at the expense of others. Because of their separation from the language- games and forms of life of ornamental practice, they often fail to grasp issues that are important to non-theorists. All the research projects demonstrated that the large majority of participants like and relate to ornament. They also showed, however, that Pakeha traditions of ornament are not only perceived to have suffered the same historical rupture as those in the West but also that the theoretical discreditation upon which they were based was used as a tool of oppression when applied to Maori art. Attempts to explain bicultural practices of appropriation or misappropriation without reference to the history of colonisation and present power configurations must fail. Whether or not a cultural image retains or loses its meaning depends on factors such as knowledge, understanding, relationality and co-operation. If culture is, however, treated as a resource for commodification – as it is by the culture industries – cultural elements are subjected to rules inherent in marketing and capitalist economies and their meaning is deliberately changed. Those who ought to be able to deal competently with these issues (designers and other cultural intermediaries) receive little in their education to prepare them for the ornamental strategies and tactics of their future clients. The academic environment is still largely determined by modernist agendas, and ornament as a topic and as practice – continues to be repressed. If a meaningful ornamental language and practice relevant to Aotearoa is to be shared, created, and sustained the divisions between theory and the life-world need to be interrogated; the distance through an assumed superiority of Pakeha to Maori history, culture and people relinquished; and a type of conversation must commence that takes seriously the Treaty of Waitangi as the founding document of this country. The partnership concept of this document facilitates conversation about differential positions and rules and can ‘take us out of our old selves by the power of strangeness, to aid us in becoming new beings’ (Rorty, 1980: 289).

Thesis (M.C.A.-Res.)--University of Wollongong, 2008. / Typescript. Includes bibliographical references: leaf 70-79.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Zurich, 1995. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references (p. 74-88).

Cette thèse traite de la présence et des usages des arts précolombiens dans les arts décoratifs en France. Le point de départ de la recherche se situe en 1875, avec le premier Congrès des américanistes ; elle s’achève en 1945, avec la fin de la Seconde Guerre mondiale et la mort d’un des principaux artistes du corpus, Jean Puiforcat. Globalement, il s’agit de contribuer à l’histoire des transferts culturels entre le Mexique, le Pérou et la France, en mettant d’abord l’accent sur les liens entre les intérêts diplomatiques et le développement culturel de l’américanisme. À partir de là, le regard se concentre sur l’évolution de la perception française des arts précolombiens au travers de l’analyse des expositions temporaires, du marché de l’art et des revues d’art en France. Cela permet de comprendre comment la réévaluation de ces civilisations a favorisé l’appropriation de motifs précolombiens dans la création décorative en France : de nombreux décorateurs se sont intéressés aux possibilités formelles de ces productions et en ont fait usage selon des modalités hétérogènes mais concomitantes. Ces phénomènes sont multilatéraux : l’analyse des recueils d’ornements précolombiens et de leur théâtralisation par les gouvernements a permis de mettre en lumière des collaborations internationales, notamment celle de la liménienne Elena Izcue avec la styliste Elsa Schiaparelli. Dans l’ensemble, cette thèse se présente comme une étude d’histoire des représentations, centrée sur la diffusion et l’instrumentalisation des arts précolombiens, au Mexique, au Pérou et en France, afin de comprendre leur productivité visuelle et culturelle dans le champ des arts décoratifs en France. / This doctoral dissertation deals with the presence and uses of pre-Columbian arts in decorative arts in France. The research starts in 1875 with the first Congress of Americanists; it ends in 1945, and it ends in 1945 with the conclusion of the Second World War and the death of one of the principal artists of the corpus, Jean Puiforcat. Overall, it seeks to contribute to the history of cultural transfers between Mexico, Peru and France. It begins by focussing on the links between the diplomatic forces at play and the cultural development of Americanism. From there, it concentrates on the evolution of the French perception of pre-Columbian arts through an analysis of temporary exhibitions, the art market and art reviews in France. This analysis makes it possible to understand how the reevaluation of these American civilisations supported the appropriation of pre-Columbian motives in decorative creation in France: many decorators were interested in the formal possibilities of these productions and used them according to heterogeneous but concomitant methods. Such phenomena are multilateral: the analysis of the collections of pre-Columbian ornaments and their dramatizing by governments made it possible to clarify international collaborations, in particular that of the Peruvian artist Elena Izcue with the designer Elsa Schiaparelli. This thesis is presented as a study of history of representations centred on the diffusion and the instrumentalization of pre-Columbian arts in Mexico, Peru and France, in order to understand their visual and cultural productivity in the field of decorative arts in France.

‘The Influence of British Rule on Elite Indian Menswear: The Birth of the Sherwani’ is a study of the influence of politics on fashion and the resulting development of new garments. This research is designed to demonstrate the effect on elite Indian menswear of the two centuries of British rule in India. It is an effort to understand how the flowing garments worn by elite Indian men in the 18th century gradually became more tailored and fitted with the passage of time. The study uses multiple sources to bring to light lesser known facts about Indian menswear, the evolution of different garments and especially of the sherwani. The sherwani is a knee-length upper garment worn by South-Asian men, and is considered to be India’s traditional menswear. My study highlights the factors responsible for the birth of the sherwani and dispels the myth that it was a garment worn by the Mughals. Simultaneously, this study examines the concept and value of ‘tradition’ in cultures. It scrutinises the reasons for the sherwani being labelled as a traditional Indian garment associated with the Mughal era, when in fact it was born towards the end of the 19th century. The study also analyses the role of the sherwani as a garment of distinction in pre- and post-independence India.

Structure architecturée destinée au besoin vital de chauffage, la cheminée était par conséquent l'élément le plus important d'un intérieur. Ainsi obtînt-elle la plus grande des attentions de la part des architectes, qui s'ingénièrent à donner à cet ouvrage utilitaire l'apparence d'un véritable monument de marbre, orné de motifs sculptés ou de bronzes dorés. Cette attention décorative valut parfois à l'ouvrage caminologique le privilège d'accéder au rang d'œuvre d'art.Plus qu'un simple foyer destiné à accueillir le feu, la cheminée était le point focal d'un intérieur. Sa position déterminait aussi bien la composition du décor mural que l'agencement du mobilier. C'est également autour de la cheminée que s'organisaient au quotidien les activités humaines. Cette attraction à la fois visuelle et physiologique incita à associer à la cheminée, pour son usage et pour son agrément, une grande diversité d'objets. Les objets d'art les plus précieux d'une habitation étaient volontiers exhibés sur la tablette de la cheminée, flattant ainsi l'orgueil du propriétaire, qui, au-delà, affirmait, aux yeux de tous, son rang social.Cette étude définie dans son intégralité les caractéristiques de la décoration intérieure de la seconde moitié du XVIIIe siècle, période durant laquelle s'opéra en France le renouveau classique, en partant de la cheminée tout en considérant le décor mural qui l'entourait, le choix des matériaux, des couleurs et des objets, à valeur d'usage et à valeur esthétique, qui lui étaient associés. L'analyse de la cheminée et de son décor permet ainsi de saisir au plus près les goûts et les habitudes ornementales de la société française de la fin de l'Ancien Régime. / As an architectural structure providing heat to satisfy one of man's vital need, the fireplace was the most important element of interior decoration. Then it attracted the attention of architects who strived to give to this useful device the appearance of a true monument in marble, decorated with sculpted motifs or ormolu. As a result of the attention paid to its decoration, the fireplace eventually reached the status of a genuine work of art. More than a mere hearth aimed at setting the fire, it became an essential element of the household. Its central position determined both the arrangement of the panelling and the layout of the furniture. At this point, daily occupations got tied to the fireplace; its physiological and esthetical value led to the necessity of possessing a wide range of objects either useful (to set the fire) or decorative. The most precious ownings of the house were usually exhibited on the marble top, flattering its owner, while affirming his vanity. This PhD is a thorough study of the characteristics of interior decoration during the second half of the 18th c.. In France at the time, there was a major classicism revival, operating through the fireplace and the decoration of the walls around it, including changes in colors and in the range of fireplace-related objects to use or admire. This survey of the fireplace and its decorative context enables us to apprehend french society's tastes and habits at the very end of "Ancien Régime".

This practice-led research aimed to design letterforms for an ancient Thai script known as Khom Thai, to aid learning of the script by today’s Thai population. Khom is a script that was developed in Thailand around the 15th century. It was widely used as the country’s official script for historical documents and records in Pali, Sanskrit, and Thai until 1945. Now, very few members of younger generations can read the script, which poses a major obstacle for preserving the knowledge of Khom Thai and severely limits access to the country’s historical documents and heritage. Although there are some relationships between contemporary Thai letters and Khom Thai letters, the unfamiliar letterforms constitute the largest hurdle for Thai readers learning to read the Khom Thai script. This study’s goal was to resolve this problem by creating three new Khom Thai letterform designs for use as learning materials and writing models for beginners. This study investigated whether Khom Thai letterforms could be redesigned so that modern Thai readers could recognise them more easily. To explore this possibility, three letterform designs, TLK Deva, TLK Brahma and TLK Manussa, were developed. This practice-led research employed mixed methods, including interviews, a questionnaire, and a letter recognition study. The first section of the research discusses the theoretical framework regarding familiarity in enhancing letter recognition. Additionally, analyses on Thai, Khom Thai, and Khmer letterforms were also included in this part. The second section is about the design process resulted in three designs. Among the three, TLK Brahma and TLK Deva maintain a close connection to the proportions and writing style of the traditional script, and could potentially be used as writing models for those learning the script. By contrast, TLK Manussa is adapted to characteristics and proportions of the present-day Thai script and is intended to look more familiar to Thai readers. One potential use of TLK Manussa is as a mnemonic aid for learning Khom Thai characters. Interviews were conducted with Khom Thai palaeographic experts to gather opinions on the designs. A questionnaire was also used with 102 participants to establish which of the three TLK designs had most familiar characteristics for Thai readers. The results showed that TLK Manussa was the most familiar among the three. After further refinement of the designs, the third section describes the data collection procedures. A short-exposure technique was used with 32 participants who already had some knowledge of Khom Thai, to compare letter recognition. This method was used for gathering reader feedback on the designs. In general, the findings did not indicate any significant differences between the three designs regarding the accuracy rate of letter identification. However, certain individual letters that more closely resembled the Thai script received higher scores than did unfamiliar characters. The three TLK designs constitute the primary contribution to knowledge. However, further contributions made by this research are its analyses of Khom Thai characters and its systematic guidelines for developing Khom Thai letterforms, the guidelines will aid future type designers of Khom Thai on letterform design. The study contributes to the field of research in non-Latin type design by endorsing the role of design in enabling contemporary audiences to learn ancient Thai scripts.

The thesis deals with the historical development of applied arts and the plant motifs of decorative creation. There is also mentioned the problem of the natural geometric decorative motifs development and the difference between the functional and decorative artefact. Then there are described the sources of inspiration, which were used as basis for the practical part. Description of the practical part deals with the production of ceramic artefacts, then with the problem of colours and in the end it describes the installation of light into one of the objects, which is the decorative light.

Following diploma thesis is focused on decorative motifs of Achaemenid small-scale art. Borders of the Achaemenid Empire stretched from the river Indus to Bulgaria and from Egypt to the Black sea. It was associated with dynasty of Persian kings, who ruled over the empire between 559 - 331 BC. During its existence a characteristic art with its own style and iconography was formed. The main aim of the thesis is to present iconographical analysis of decorative motives appearing in Achaemenid small-scale art. Due to the vast range of decorative motives thesis is focused only on motives of animals. The analysis is conducted on diverse spectrum of objects included in studied collection. It consists of 397 objects namely jewellery, plaques, bracteates, toreutics, coins, stamp and cylinder seals and their impressions, horse-harness strap dividers, weapons, scabbards and scabbard tips and small scale sculpture. These objects are decorated with total of 822 animal motives, which are sorted into six chapters. The introduction is followed by second chapter, in which beasts of prey are described. Here belongs lion, dog, fox, leopard and other beasts of prey without more specific interpretation. Next chapter includes motives of wild animals where ibexes, gazelles, deer and wild boars. In the following chapter...