Ornamental surfaces : a "global trend" in late antique Afro-Eurasia

Case studies from different regions of Afro-Eurasia enable examination of three developments in the use of geometrical ornament in architectural spaces and on portable artifacts during the so-called "long Late Antiquity" (ca 300–800). First, ornaments were "spoliated" from larger geometrical patterns and then reassembled in new architectural settings, such as mosaic floors and walls, as well as on the surfaces of small-scale objects. By creating an impression of ornamental abundance, geometrical embellishments contributed to the concept of varietas and the "cumulative aesthetics" that were characteristic of late antique literature, art, and architecture. Second, geometrical ornament became increasingly independent from its medium and thus from the function-related principles of classical Greco-Roman architectural decoration, which is exemplified by a selection of basket capitals with grid decoration. And third, grid and medallion patterns demonstrate that geometrical ornament and the way in which it is distributed on surfaces was possibly inspired by textile models.