Meander (art)

A meander or meandros[1] (Greek: Μαίανδρος) is a decorative border constructed from a continuous line, shaped into a repeated motif.

Usually the term is used for motifs with straight lines and right angles and the many versions with rounded shapes are called running scrolls or, following the etymological origin of the term, may be identified as water wave motifs.

On another hand, as Karl Kerenyi pointed out, "the meander is the figure of a labyrinth in linear form".

[2] Meanders are common decorative elements in Greek and Roman art.

The design is common to the present-day in classicizing architecture, and is adopted frequently as a decorative motif for borders for many modern printed materials.

Meander (or Greek key) on a stove in the Dimitrie Sturdza House (Strada Arthur Verona no. 13), Bucharest , Romania , unknown architect, 1883
Meander motif in the streets of Rhodes , Greece, in pavement made from beach stones