__NOTOC__ A meander or meandros () is a decorative border constructed from a continuous line, shaped into a repeated motif. Among some Italians, these patterns are known as "Greek Lines". Such a design may also be called the Greek fret or Greek key design, although these terms are modern designations; this decorative motif appears much earlier and among Near and

Far east The Far East is the geographical region that encompasses the easternmost portion of the Asian continent, including North Asia, North, East Asia, East and Southeast Asia. South Asia is sometimes also included in the definition of the term. In mod ...

ern cultures that are far from Greece. 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.

Meaning of the name

On one hand, the name "meander" recalls the twisting and turning path of the Maeander River in

Asia Minor Anatolia (), also known as Asia Minor, is a peninsula in West Asia that makes up the majority of the land area of Turkey. It is the westernmost protrusion of Asia and is geographically bounded by the Mediterranean Sea to the south, the Aegean ...

(present day

Turkey Turkey, officially the Republic of Türkiye, is a country mainly located in Anatolia in West Asia, with a relatively small part called East Thrace in Southeast Europe. It borders the Black Sea to the north; Georgia (country), Georgia, Armen ...

) that is typical of river pathways. On another hand, as Karl Kerenyi pointed out, "the meander is the figure of a

labyrinth In Greek mythology, the Labyrinth () is an elaborate, confusing structure designed and built by the legendary artificer Daedalus for King Minos of Crete at Knossos. Its function was to hold the Minotaur, the monster eventually killed by the h ...

in linear form".

Decorative uses

Meanders are common decorative elements in Greek and Roman art. In

ancient Greece Ancient Greece () was a northeastern Mediterranean civilization, existing from the Greek Dark Ages of the 12th–9th centuries BC to the end of classical antiquity (), that comprised a loose collection of culturally and linguistically r ...

they appear in many architectural friezes, and in bands on the

pottery of ancient Greece Pottery, due to its relative durability, comprises a large part of the archaeological record of ancient Greece, and since there is so much of it (over 100,000 painted vases are recorded in the Corpus vasorum antiquorum), it has exerted a dispro ...

from the Geometric period onward. 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.

Labyrinthine meanders in China

The meander is a fundamental design motif in regions far from a Hellenic orbit: labyrinthine meanders ("thunder" pattern ) appear in bands and as infill on Shang bronzes (), and many traditional buildings in and around

China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. With population of China, a population exceeding 1.4 billion, it is the list of countries by population (United Nations), second-most populous country after ...

still bear geometric designs almost identical to meanders. Although space-filling curves have a long history in China in motifs more than 2,000 years earlier, extending back to Zhukaigou Culture () and Xiajiadian Culture ( and ), frequently there is speculation that meanders of Greek origin may have come to China during the time of the

Han dynasty The Han dynasty was an Dynasties of China, imperial dynasty of China (202 BC9 AD, 25–220 AD) established by Liu Bang and ruled by the House of Liu. The dynasty was preceded by the short-lived Qin dynasty (221–206 BC ...

() by way of trade with the

Greco-Bactrian Kingdom The Greco-Bactrian Kingdom () was a Ancient Greece, Greek state of the Hellenistic period located in Central Asia, Central-South Asia. The kingdom was founded by the Seleucid Empire, Seleucid satrap Diodotus I, Diodotus I Soter in about 256 BC, ...

. A meander motif also appears in prehistoric Mayan design motifs in the western hemisphere, centuries before any European contacts.

Gallery

Geometric bowl, 730-720 BC, Prague NM-H10 4103, 151503.jpg, Geometric bowl decorated with a meander, 730–720 BC, ceramic, Kinský Palace,

Prague Prague ( ; ) is the capital and List of cities and towns in the Czech Republic, largest city of the Czech Republic and the historical capital of Bohemia. Prague, located on the Vltava River, has a population of about 1.4 million, while its P ...

, Czech Republic File:Painted terracotta metopes from Thermos (temple of Apollon) - Athens NAM AD 2 - 08.jpg,

Ancient Greek Ancient Greek (, ; ) includes the forms of the Greek language used in ancient Greece and the classical antiquity, ancient world from around 1500 BC to 300 BC. It is often roughly divided into the following periods: Mycenaean Greek (), Greek ...

metope A metope (; ) is a rectangular architectural element of the Doric order, filling the space between triglyphs in a frieze , a decorative band above an architrave. In earlier wooden buildings the spaces between triglyphs were first open, and ...

with three women that have meanders on their clothes, 640 BC, terracotta, National Archaeological Museum,

Athens Athens ( ) is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Greece, largest city of Greece. A significant coastal urban area in the Mediterranean, Athens is also the capital of the Attica (region), Attica region and is the southe ...

File:Palaistra scene Louvre G457.jpg, A typical Attic red-figure cup with meander pattern at borders, by the

Eretria Painter The Eretria Painter was an ancient Greek Attic red-figure vase painter. He worked in the final quarter of the 5th century BC. The Eretria Painter is assumed to have been a contemporary of the Shuvalov Painter; he is considered one of the most ...

, ,

red-figure pottery Red-figure pottery () is a style of Pottery of ancient Greece, ancient Greek pottery in which the background of the pottery is painted black while the figures and details are left in the natural red or orange color of the clay. It developed in A ...

, Louvre File:Didim RB20.jpg, Ancient Greek meanders on the base of a column from the ruins of the Temple of Apollo at

Didyma Didyma (; ) was an Ancient Greece, ancient Greek sanctuary on the coast of Ionia in the domain of the famous city of Miletus. Apollo was the main deity of the sanctuary of Didyma, also called ''Didymaion''. But it was home to both of the Ancient ...

, unknown architect or sculptor, 300-150 BC File:Villa dei misteri, sala del grande dipinto con misteri iniziatici, I secolo a.c. 03.jpg, Roman meander on a fresco in the

Villa of the Mysteries The Villa of the Mysteries () is a well-preserved suburban ancient Roman villa on the outskirts of Pompeii, southern Italy. It is famous for the series of exquisite frescos in Room 5, which are usually interpreted as showing the initiation of a b ...

Pompeii Pompeii ( ; ) was a city in what is now the municipality of Pompei, near Naples, in the Campania region of Italy. Along with Herculaneum, Stabiae, and Villa Boscoreale, many surrounding villas, the city was buried under of volcanic ash and p ...

, Italy, unknown painter, 1st century BC File:Herculaneum — Women's Baths (14732688117).jpg, Roman meander mosaic of a tepidarium,

Herculaneum Herculaneum is an ancient Rome, ancient Roman town located in the modern-day ''comune'' of Ercolano, Campania, Italy. Herculaneum was buried under a massive pyroclastic flow in the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD. Like the nearby city of ...

, Italy, unknown architect, unknown date Efeso, tempio di adriano 14.JPG, Roman meander on the Temple of Hadrianus,

Ephesus Ephesus (; ; ; may ultimately derive from ) was an Ancient Greece, ancient Greek city on the coast of Ionia, in present-day Selçuk in İzmir Province, Turkey. It was built in the 10th century BC on the site of Apasa, the former Arzawan capital ...

, unknown architect or sculptor, 117-118 AD File:0540 - Milano - Museo archeologico - Mosaico romano (sec. I a.C.) - Foto Giovanni Dall'Orto, 13-mar-2012.jpg, Roman meander on a mosaic, 1st century BC, Archaeological Museum of Milan, Italy File:Chedworth Roman Villa 05.jpg, Roman meander on a mosaic from the Chedworth Roman Villa,

England England is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is located on the island of Great Britain, of which it covers about 62%, and List of islands of England, more than 100 smaller adjacent islands. It ...

, unknown architect, File:GallaPlacidia mosaico motivos geometricos arco.jpg, Colorful late Roman-early

Byzantine The Byzantine Empire, also known as the Eastern Roman Empire, was the continuation of the Roman Empire centred on Constantinople during late antiquity and the Middle Ages. Having survived the events that caused the fall of the Western Roman E ...

meander in the Mausoleum of Galla Placidia,

Ravenna Ravenna ( ; , also ; ) is the capital city of the Province of Ravenna, in the Emilia-Romagna region of Northern Italy. It was the capital city of the Western Roman Empire during the 5th century until its Fall of Rome, collapse in 476, after which ...

, Italy, unknown architect or craftsman, 425-450 File:Ravenna, sant'apollinare nuovo, int., porto di classe, epoca di teodorico 02.JPG,

mosaic meander in the Basilica of Sant'Apollinare Nuovo,

, Italy, unknown architect or craftsman, 500, with later alterations from 560 La Iglesia 5 Mäander.jpg, Mayan meander from

Chichen Itza Chichén Itzá , , often with the emphasis reversed in English to ; from () "at the mouth of the well of the Itza people, Itza people" (often spelled ''Chichen Itza'' in English and traditional Yucatec Maya) was a large Pre-Columbian era, ...

Mexico Mexico, officially the United Mexican States, is a country in North America. It is the northernmost country in Latin America, and borders the United States to the north, and Guatemala and Belize to the southeast; while having maritime boundar ...

, unknown architect, 750–1050 File:Hagia Sophia Beautiful Gate in 2018 6352.jpg, Byzantine meander on the south-west door, unknown architect or sculptor, 829-842, bronze,

Hagia Sophia Hagia Sophia (; ; ; ; ), officially the Hagia Sophia Grand Mosque (; ), is a mosque and former Church (building), church serving as a major cultural and historical site in Istanbul, Turkey. The last of three church buildings to be successively ...

Istanbul Istanbul is the List of largest cities and towns in Turkey, largest city in Turkey, constituting the country's economic, cultural, and historical heart. With Demographics of Istanbul, a population over , it is home to 18% of the Demographics ...

, Turkey File:Petershausener Sakramentar 5.jpg, Romanesque meander on a page from the Petershausener Sakramentar, 960-980, tempera colors, gold paint, gold leaf, and ink on parchment, Heidelberg University Library,

Heidelberg Heidelberg (; ; ) is the List of cities in Baden-Württemberg by population, fifth-largest city in the States of Germany, German state of Baden-Württemberg, and with a population of about 163,000, of which roughly a quarter consists of studen ...

, Germany File:Domschatz Halberstadt Isaac Teppichsaal mit Abraham-Engelteppich und Christus-Apostelteppich, um 1150.jpg, Romanesque meander of a tapestry with Saint Michael fighting with the dragon, 1146-1155, linen yarn, wool, linen, Halberstadt Cathedral Treasure, Halberstadt, Germany File:Istanbul Fenari Isa Mosque exterior east side 4476.jpg, Byzantine brick meander on the facade of the Church of the Thetokos tou Libos of Constantine Lips, currently the Fenari Isa Mosque, Istanbul, unknown architect, 907, refounded in 1287 Bordeaux Grand Théâtre R03.jpg, Neoclassical meander border of the railing from the stairway of the Grand Theater of Bordeaux,

Bordeaux Bordeaux ( ; ; Gascon language, Gascon ; ) is a city on the river Garonne in the Gironde Departments of France, department, southwestern France. A port city, it is the capital of the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region, as well as the Prefectures in F ...

, France, by Victor Louis, 1777-1780 Père-Lachaise - Division 28 - Foy 08.jpg, Neoclassical meander border on the ceiling of the Grave of Foy,

Père Lachaise Cemetery Père Lachaise Cemetery (, , formerly , ) is the largest cemetery in Paris, France, at . With more than 3.5 million visitors annually, it is the most visited necropolis in the world. Buried at Père Lachaise are many famous figures in the ...

, Paris, by

Pierre Jean David Pierre-Jean David (12 March 1788 – 4 January 1856) was a French Sculpture, sculptor, medalist and active Freemasonry, freemason.Initiated in ""Le Père de famille"" Lodge in Angers He adopted the name David d'Angers, following his entry into th ...

, 1831 59 Rue de Provence, Paris (01).jpg, Neoclassical meander in the

lunette A lunette (French ''lunette'', 'little moon') is a crescent- or half-moon–shaped or semi-circular architectural space or feature, variously filled with sculpture, painted, glazed, filled with recessed masonry, or void. A lunette may also be ...

of the Ensemble immobilier de la cité d'Antin ( Rue de Provence no. 59), Paris, unknown architect, Ceiling with mosaic of the Opéra Garnier (01).jpg, Neoclassical meander border on a ceiling of the

Palais Garnier The (, Garnier Palace), also known as (, Garnier Opera), is a historic 1,979-seatBeauvert 1996, p. 102. opera house at the Place de l'Opéra in the 9th arrondissement of Paris, France. It was built for the Paris Opera from 1861 to 1875 at the ...

, Paris, by Charles Garnier, 1860–1875 File:Ceiling centre of the Salon du glacier in the Opéra Garnier.jpg, Neoclassical meander border of a ceiling of the Salon du glacier in the Palais Garnier, by Charles Garnier, 1860–1875 Floor of the Moon Salon in the Opéra Garnier.jpg, Neoclassical meander border of a floor of the Moon Salon in the Palais Garnier, by Charles Garnier, 1860–1875 File:Vase néo-grec, PPO03792(4).jpg, Greek Revival vase with a meander, produced by Baccarat, 1867,

crystal A crystal or crystalline solid is a solid material whose constituents (such as atoms, molecules, or ions) are arranged in a highly ordered microscopic structure, forming a crystal lattice that extends in all directions. In addition, macros ...

and gold,

Petit Palais The (; ) is an art museum in the 8th arrondissement of Paris, France. Built for the Exposition Universelle (1900), 1900 Exposition Universelle ("universal exhibition"), it now houses the City of Paris Museum of Fine Arts (''Musée des beaux-arts ...

, Paris Austrian Parliament Building - colored sections 04.jpg, Greek Revival meanders on the

Austrian Parliament Building The Austrian Parliament Building (, colloquially ''das Parlament'') in Vienna is the meeting place of the two houses of the Austrian Parliament. The building is located on the in the first district, ''Innere Stadt'', near Hofburg Palace and t ...

Vienna Vienna ( ; ; ) is the capital city, capital, List of largest cities in Austria, most populous city, and one of Federal states of Austria, nine federal states of Austria. It is Austria's primate city, with just over two million inhabitants. ...

, by Theophil von Hansen, 1873-1883 3-5 Strada Icoanei, Bucharest (46).jpg, Neoclassical meander on a floor in the Central Girls' School (Strada Icoanei no. 3-5),

Bucharest Bucharest ( , ; ) is the capital and largest city of Romania. The metropolis stands on the River Dâmbovița (river), Dâmbovița in south-eastern Romania. Its population is officially estimated at 1.76 million residents within a greater Buc ...

, Romania, by Ion Mincu, 1890 Stove tile from a house demolished in the 1980s in the Uranus area, on display during an exhibition in the Bucharest City Hall (02).jpg, Neoclassical meander on a stove tile from a house in Bucharest, on display during an exhibition in the Bucharest City Hall, unknown designer, File:Viktor Kovačić - Palača burze u Zagrebu - vestibul - detalj zida uz stubište.jpg, Neoclassical meander on a wall of Stock Exchange Building (Trg hrvatskih velikana no. 3) of

Zagreb Zagreb ( ) is the capital (political), capital and List of cities and towns in Croatia#List of cities and towns, largest city of Croatia. It is in the Northern Croatia, north of the country, along the Sava river, at the southern slopes of the ...

Croatia Croatia, officially the Republic of Croatia, is a country in Central Europe, Central and Southeast Europe, on the coast of the Adriatic Sea. It borders Slovenia to the northwest, Hungary to the northeast, Serbia to the east, Bosnia and Herze ...

, by Viktor Kovačić, 1927 File:Robe, 1984.1.38(2).jpg,

Art Deco Art Deco, short for the French (), is a style of visual arts, architecture, and product design that first Art Deco in Paris, appeared in Paris in the 1910s just before World War I and flourished in the United States and Europe during the 1920 ...

dress decorated with meanders, unknown producer, 1925, georgette, and crochet embroidery, Musée Galliera, Paris Grave of the Vasile I. Prodanof Family in the Bellu Cemetery in Bucharest, Romania (03).jpg, Neoclassical and Art Deco meander on a Doric column capital of the Vasile I. Prodanof family tomb, Bellu Cemetery, Bucharest, unknown architect,

Citations

Sources

* *

External links

''Illustrated Architecture Dictionary'': "Fret"
��a short description, with a list of links to photographs of meander designs in art and architecture {{Ornaments Culture of Greece Ornaments Visual motifs Labyrinths