Ornamental transmutation

Around 1900 a new, entirely different aesthetic swept Western society. At that time Europe was in the throes of a social and political awakening, during which a deliberate decision was made to eschew the styles prevailing in the previous century and aspire towards a new fusion of art and life.
A revival of creativity and crafts was also a universal focus of interest. The Arts and Crafts movement, which started in England and went on to become widespread in Europe, laid the groundwork for a fresh definition of crafts.
Stylistic inspiration for this change in direction was provided mainly by the Japanese decorative arts, which were presented to the West in 1862 at the London International Exhibition of Industry and Art, where they met with rapturous enthusiasm. The features for which Japanese arts and crafts were admired by Europeans were a simple yet dynamic ornamental interpretation of nature, the dramatic handling of colour and surprising combinations of materials.