Theunderlyingnormsoftasteareofveryancientgrowth，probablyfarantedatingtheadventofthepecuniaryinstitutionsthatarehereunderdiscussion。Consequently，byforceofthepastselectiveadaptationofmen’shabitsofthought，ithappensthattherequirementsofbeauty，simply，areforthemostpartbestsatisfiedbyinexpensivecontrivancesandstructureswhichinastraightforwardmannersuggestboththeofficewhichtheyaretoperformandthemethodofservingtheirend，Itmaybeinplacetorecallthemodernpsychologicalposition。Beautyofformseemstobeaquestionoffacilityofapperception。Thepropositioncouldperhapssafelybemadebroaderthanthis。Ifabstractionismadefromassociation，suggestion，and“expression，“classedaselementsofbeauty，thenbeautyinanyperceivedobjectmeansthatthemidreadilyunfoldsitsapperceptiveactivityinthedirectionswhichtheobjectinquestionaffords。Butthedirectionsinwhichactivityreadilyunfoldsorexpressesitselfarethedirectionstowhichlongandclosehabituationbasmadethemindprone。Sofarasconcernstheessentialelementsofbeauty，thishabituationisanhabituationsocloseandlongastohaveinducednotonlyaproclivitytotheapperceptiveforminquestion，butanadaptationofphysiologicalstructureandfunctionaswell。Sofarastheeconomicinterestentersintotheconstitutionofbeauty，itentersasasuggestionorexpressionofadequacytoapurpose，amanifestandreadilyinferablesubserviencetothelifeprocess。Thisexpressionofeconomicfacilityoreconomicserviceabilityinanyobject——
whatmaybecalledtheeconomicbeautyoftheobject-isbestsewedbyneatandunambiguoussuggestionofitsofficeanditsefficiencyforthematerialendsoflife。
Onthisground，amongobjectsofusethesimpleandunadornedarticleisaestheticallythebest。Butsincethepecuniarycanonofreputabilityrejectstheinexpensiveinarticlesappropriatedtoindividualconsumption，thesatisfactionofourcravingforbeautifulthingsmustbesoughtbywayofcompromise。Thecanonsofbeautymustbecircumventedbysomecontrivancewhichwillgiveevidenceofareputablywastefulexpenditure，atthesametimethatitmeetsthedemandsofourcriticalsenseoftheusefulandthebeautiful，oratleastmeetsthedemandofsomehabitwhichhascometododutyinplaceofthatsense。Suchanauxiliarysenseoftasteisthesenseofnovelty；andthislatterishelpedoutinitssurrogateshipbythecuriositywithwhichmenviewingeniousandpuzzlingcontrivances。Henceitcomesthatmostobjectsallegedtobebeautiful，anddoingdutyassuch，showconsiderableingenuityofdesignandarecalculatedtopuzzlethebeholder——tobewilderhimwithirrelevantsuggestionsandhintsoftheimprobable——atthesametimethattheygiveevidenceofanexpenditureoflaborinexcessofwhatwouldgivethemtheirfullestefficencyfortheirostensibleeconomicend。
Thismaybeshownbyanillustrationtakenfromoutsidetherangeofoureverydayhabitsandeverydaycontact，andsooutsidetherangeofourbias。SucharetheremarkablefeathermantlesofHawaii，orthewell-knowncawedhandlesoftheceremonialadzesofseveralPolynesianislands，Theseareundeniablybeautiful，bothinthesensethattheyofferapleasingcompositionofform，lines，andcolor，andinthesensethattheyevincegreatskillandingenuityindesignandconstruction。Atthesametimethearticlesaremanifestlyillfittedtoserveanyothereconomicpurpose。Butitisnotalwaysthattheevolutionofingeniousandpuzzlingcontrivancesundertheguidanceofthecanonofwastedeffortworksoutsohappyaresult。Theresultisquiteasoftenavirtuallycompletesuppressionofallelementsthatwouldbearscrutinyasexpressionsofbeauty，orofserviceability，andthesubstitutionofevidencesofmisspentingenuityandlabor，backedbyaconspicuousineptitude；untilmanyoftheobjectswithwhichwesurroundourselvesineverydaylife，andevenmanyarticlesofeverydaydressandornament，aresuchaswouldnotbetoleratedexceptunderthestressofprescriptivetradition。Illustrationsofthissubstitutionofingenuityandexpenseinplaceofbeautyandserviceabilityaretobeseen，forinstance，indomesticarchitecture，indomesticartorfancywork，invariousarticlesofapparel，especiallyoffeminineandpriestlyapparel。
Thecanonofbeautyrequiresexpressionofthegeneric。The“novelty“duetothedemandsofconspicuouswastetraversesthiscanonofbeauty，inthatitresultsinmakingthephysiognomyofourobjectsoftasteacongeriesofidiosyncrasies；andtheidiosyncrasiesare，moreover，undertheselectivesurveillanceofthecanonofexpensiveness。