Ornamentation for the Nation letterpress print

The world needs more beautiful things in it, don’t you think? Here’s some delicate ornamentation for your wall. Printed in metallic inks onto black card, it shimmers in the light.

The tiny Arabesque ornaments I used to make this print come in four styles that allow for a great deal of pattern variation. It’s a fascinating thing to explore, and never ceases to amaze me. See more about the process of making Ornamentation for the Nation on my blog, and the inspiration: the Spring 1960 issue of The Monotype Recorder, which contains a marvellous piece called ’The Grammar of Ornament’ exploring the myriad decorative potential of ornaments.

The wording is typeset in Centaur, a delicate and subtle serif typeface that complemented the ornaments perfectly.

Originally designed as a postcard, there’s a special deal on multiples if you’d like to share the ornamentation around to your favourite people. Buy 2 to save £10, or 3 to save £20.

• Part of a small batch, hand printed in my studio on the Shropshire/Herefordshire/Powys borders
• Letterpress printed by hand on a half-ton cast iron treadle-operated printing press
• Hand set metal type and ornaments
• Copper and silver ink
• 270gsm recycled black card
• 7” x 5“ (fits off-the-shelf frames)