- For other uses of the term, see Ornament.
In
architecture and
decorative art,
ornament is a decoration used to
embellish parts of a building or object. Large figurative elements such as
monumental sculpture and their equivalents in decorative art are excluded from the term; most ornament does not include human figures, and if present they are small compared to the overall scale. Architectural ornament can be carved from stone, wood or precious metals, formed with plaster or clay, or painted or impressed onto a surface as
applied ornament; in other
applied arts the main material of the object, or a different one such as paint or
vitreous enamel may be used.