We admire the ornamental richness of a Chinese porcelain vase. This is a creation of an artisan who once followed the tradition; who worked after patterns in forms and techniques. The patterns can be seen by us as s/he saw them. The ornaments can even be drawn by us. For this we have ‘only’ to be able to recognize the structure of the motives and the rules in their connections. This samplebook provides help on this. Gives an opportunity for the Reader to become a creative artisan. The creative Reader could try to produce - using the helping lines and chequered fields - ancient Meander stripes, Renaissance palmetto ornaments, baroque shell forms or Arabic net patterns. The book also guides the Reader through the important styles and periods of history of arts.