the.com/ornament
Proof that humans have never once left well enough alone.
means A decorative object or detail added to something purely to make it more beautiful, serving no practical purpose.
from From Latin 'ornamentum' (equipment, adornment), from the verb 'ornare' meaning 'to equip, fit out, embellish' — the same root that gives us 'adorn' and 'ornate.' Interestingly, 'ornare' first meant something closer to 'to make ready' or 'furnish'; the leap from practical equipping to pure decoration happened along the way, as if the Romans themselves couldn't resist a little extra flourish. It reached English through Old French 'ornement' in the medieval period.
- oldest known
- 100,000-year-old shell beads predate cave painting
- tree origin
- Germans hung apples and wafers centuries before glass baubles
- latin root
- From ornare, meaning to equip or furnish
- crime against decor
- Architect Adolf Loos called ornament a moral failing
kew palace christmas tree — britain's oldest decorated christmas tree still displayed annually, started by queen charlotte in 1761
baccarat crystal nativity — french crystal figurine set from 1953, hand-carved pieces selling individually for $500-$2000 each