Ornament

About this work

This image is a black-and-white design on paper. It shows a tall, narrow shape with lots of swirling patterns and small faces peeking out. In the middle, there’s a figure holding a round object, surrounded by flowers, leaves, and scrolls that look like they’re carved from stone. The tiny faces and detailed scrollwork suggest this was meant to decorate something fancy, like a building or furniture. The lines are all made by pressing a tool into the metal plate—this is how the artist created the image. Next, look up engraving to see how this technique works.