Vermiculation

Vermiculation naturally occurs in patterns on a wide variety of species, for example in the feathers of certain birds, for which it may provide either camouflage[1] or decoration.

It also appears in architecture as a form of rustication where the stone is cut with a pattern of wandering lines.

In metalwork, vermiculation is used to form a type of background found in Romanesque enamels, especially on chasse reliquary caskets.

In this case the term is used for what is in fact a dense pattern of regular ornament using plant forms and tendrils.

In Ancient Roman mosaics, opus vermiculatum was the most detailed technique, and pieces are often described as "vermiculated" in English.