Moravské ornamenty 1888

Moravské ornamenty [Moravian Ornaments]. Olomouc: Vlastenecký muzejní spolek v Olomouci, 1888.4to. 33 pp. of text + 9 lithographic plates (8 coloured, 1 line-illustrated). Original illustrated wrappers designed in polychrome, with title-page repeated internally. Lithographs by Madlenka Wanklova. An attractive late nineteenth-century study of traditional Moravian ornamental design and Easter egg decoration (kraslice), issued by the Patriotic Museum Society in Olomouc. The text examines the aesthetics, symbolism, and historical origins of Moravian ornament, drawing comparisons with prehistoric and early Slavic decorative traditions, while the beautifully executed lithographic plates reproduce dozens of regional Easter egg motifs in vivid colour and monochrome. An early and visually appealing contribution to the documentation of Moravian folk art, produced at a time of renewed scholarly and national interest in Czech ethnographic traditions. Fair condition. Original wrappers heavily reinforced with tape on the inside; wrappers worn and creased with small losses at corners. Moderate foxing throughout, affecting both text and plates. Leaves loose, as issued. A complete copy of an increasingly uncommon and visually striking nineteenth-century Czech ethnographic publication.