OBJECTS Ornament Vojtěch Preissig (1873–1944) Designs of ornamental patterns for the book Broučci (Beetles), (1902) Ink on cardboard; borders: 36.5 x 25.5 cm; heading: 31.3 x 44.8 cm Preissig worked on the first illustrated edition of Broučci, a children’s book written by Jan Karafiát (published in 1902 by the Dědictví Komenského publishing house), in Paris between 1900 and 1902. This was his first noteworthy achievement in the field of book design. The book is conceived as a fusion of unified components: the visual appearance, binding and illustrations. The decorative borders for each double page are unique, and the introductory pages of each chapter are adorned with headings featuring stylised insect figures. Preissig used the Broučci motif in the L’Assiette au Beurre satirical magazine, where – in the issue entitled Les Joies du Foyer (The Joys of the Hearth) – he presented the pros and cons of newly-wed life with humorous exaggeration.