1

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

2

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

3

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

4

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