ecaic visual characteristicsecaic.arch.ox.ac.uk/survey/visual_characteristics.pdfvisual...
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VisualcharacteristicsWhatfollowsbelowistheECAICprojectteam’slistofnotablevisualcharacteristicsuponwhichwehave chosen to focus our attention. They are, of course, our owndivisionsandarenotexhaustive.Ourinterpretationsoftheobjectscontainedinthedatabasewere largelybasedon images,publishedsources,andthedescriptionsoftheobjectsthatwereprovidedbythedatabasesthatcomprisetheECAICdatabase.These impressions are meant to describe the object as a whole; an attempt todeterminewhat is themost strikingaspectof the style.When therearedefinablefigures (humans or animals), these can be described individually using the samerubricwithinthe‘Imagery’table.
Visualcharacteristic Definition Example
Swirly/Fluid
• Describestheclassic‘LaTène-style’ornamentationorform
• ThisisalegacytermfromthepreviousTechnologiesofEnchantment(TofE)database
Swirly,3-D,Near,Textured
Swirly,2-D,Near,Mirrorsymmetry,Ambiguousfigurative
Classical-influence
• ShowsclearinfluencefromtheMediterraneanworld
• PossiblycomesfromtheMediterranean/westernAsia
• Note:canalsoincludeThracian,Achaemenidinfluencesetc.
Classical-influence,Geometric,2-D,repetitive,Mirrorsymmetry,Rotationalsymmetry,Naturalisticfigurative,Ambiguousfigurative
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Visualcharacteristic Definition Example
Geometric/Rigid
• Includeszigzags,ringanddots,dottedlines,etc.
• Includesrepeated(apparentlyidenticaloridentical)mostlyabstractmotifs(e.g.stamps)arrangedinarigidstyle
Geometric,3-D,Near,Repetitive,Rotationalsymmetry
2-D
• Describesobjectswhoseformdoesnotrelyontheornamentation
• Thesetendtobescabbardsandswords,daggers,mirrorsetc.
Swirly,2-D,Near
3-D• Describesobjectswhere
theornamentationisintegraltotheform
3-D,Naturalisticfigurative
Near
• Describesobjectswheretheornamentation,orelementsofit,issmall-scale,detailed,andonlyvisibletopeopleclosetotheobject(thinkingaboutvisualproximity).
NO:allelementsoftheobjectarevisiblefromadistance
YES:someelementsoftheobjectarevisiblefromadistance,butsomerequiretheaudiencetobeclosetotheobject
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Visualcharacteristic Definition Example
Textured
• Wherebackgroundorwholeareasare‘filledin’partiallybyasecondarypattern,e.g.baskethatching,linesoftinydotsetc.
• Whereobjectsaremanipulated,givenshapesthatcreatevisualinterest/breakupreflectionsonasurfaceetc.
Geometric,2-D,Near,Textured,Repetitive
Classical-influence,3-D,Textured
Repetitive
• Whereanobjecthasarepeatingmotifordesignthatcanbebrokenintounits(andrepeated)
Geometric,2-D,Near,Repetitive
Narrative
• Includesscenesorimagerythatisattemptingtotellastoryorpartofastory
Classical-influence,3-D,Near,Narrative,Naturalisticfigurative
Mirrorsymmetry
• DoesnotnecessarilymeanthatitisTRULYmirrorsymmetrical,butgivestheimpressionofit
• Mostlyreferstoornamentationasawholeorobjectasawhole
Geometric,3-D,Near,Repetitive,Mirrorsymmetry
Classical,3-D,Near,Mirrorsymmetry
Rotationalsymmetry
• Givestheimpressionofrotationalsymmetry,rotationalmovement
YES:Geometric,3-D,Near,Textured,Repetitive,Rotationalsymmetry,Abstractedfigurative
NO:3-D,Naturalisticfigurative
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Visualcharacteristic Definition Example
Multi-dimensional
• Representationofmultipleplanesofsymmetry
Swirly,Classical-influence,3-D,Near,Multi-dimensional,Abstractedfigurative
Naturalisticfigurative
• Includesrepresentationsofnaturalistichumansoranimals
Classical-influence,3-D,Near,Narrative,Naturalisticfigurative
Abstractedfigurative
• Includesrepresentationsofabstractedhumansoranimalsthatyoucantellarehumansoranimalsbutarenotrepresentednaturalistically
Geometric,3-D,Repetitive,Mirrorsymmetry,Abstractedfigurative
3-D,Near,Mirrorsymmetry,Naturalisticfigurative(swans),Ambiguousfigurative(isthewholethingananimalface?)
Ambiguousfigurative
• Unclearwhetherornotitisananimalorhuman,butgivesthatimpression;whatsomepeoplehavedescribedas‘hidden’animalsorfaces
Swirly,2-D,Mirrorsymmetry,Ambiguousfigurative
Exclude • Shouldnotbeincludedinthisdatabase