Ornamental

An ornament is something that decorates, adorns, or embellishes. Ornamentation is the class of things ornamental.Quote: "A building without ornamentation is like a heaven without stars." George Santayana (1863-1952), Spanish and American philosopher, poet, and novelist. Quoted in Christian Science Monitor, December 14, 1990."Ornamental" and "ornate" are used in referring to the third style of classical Roman fresco painting. This style followed those called "incrustation" and "architectonic" styles, and preceded the composite style.Related link: Art-and-Archaeology.com has a set of pages about Roman frescoes, including examples of the ornamental style. Ornament and Pattern: Pre-Victorian to Art Deco. Several thousand images from nearly 100 volumes on decorative art and surface ornament, mainly portfolios of plates, pattern books, and scrapbook compilations in the collection of the New York Public Library. Also see aesthetics, bric-a-brac, brummagem, egg-and-dart, embroidery, festoon, finial, flourish, gem, gewgaw, historiated, hooptedoodle, jewelry, niche, openwork, pendant, taste, and tchotchke.