18 The Subdivisions of the Octagon, Triangle, andHexagon.

The Oblong,&c.
The Subdivision of the Octagon, Triangle, and
Hexagon. (Plates 11 and
12.)
Next to the square: the regular polygous most frequently occur-
ring in ornamentation are the Octagon and the Hexagon. The Triangle,
Pentagon, Decagon and Duodecagon are, for obvious reasons, less
common; w^hile the other regular polygons are scarcely used at all.
Sometimes the semi-regular polygons also appear. These are formed
by cutting-off equal triangles from the angles of a regular polygon
in such a manner that the resulting figui'e has long and short sides
alternately, and the angles all lie on the circumference of a circle.
Diagonals and Diameters with series of lines in the manner of
pointed stars, are the readiest auxiliaries for dividing regular and
semi-regular Polygons.
Plate 11. The Octagox.
1
8. The best-known Subdivisions.
Plate 12. The Triangle, the Hexagon, &c.
1
5. Simple Subdivisions of the Equilateral triangle.
6
13. The best-known Subdivisions of the regular Hexagon.
14. Subdivisions of a regular Pentagon.
The Oblong, and its Subdivision. (Plates
13

16.)
The right-angled plane figure with unequal pairs of sides,
known as an Oblong, is the most usual of all fundamental forms.
Ceilings, floors, walls, doors, wainscoting, panels of fui-niture, table-
tops, book-covers, and numbers of other objects, have an oblong
shape. The difference in the lengths of the sides adapts itself to all
possible conditions: the Oblong approaching the square on the one
hand and the Band or Border on the other; so that the divisions are
very various; as will be seen by a glance at the examples. As a
rule, the diagonal is not used as an auxiliary line, but is replaced
by the mitral-line of the angle, as this latter alone gives equal
breadths of the Border. When the Oblong approaches the Square, a
distorted square subdivision is sometimes resorted-to, (Compare PL
16,
fig.
2).
Pjate 13. The Oblong.
1
6. The usual subdivisions.
Mosaic, flooring, Italian, 16th century, (Storck).