Meander (art)

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For other uses, see Meander (disambiguation).

Meander pavement in the streets of Rhodes

In art and architecture, a meander is a decorative border constructed from a continuous line, shaped into a repeated motif. Such a design is also called the Greek fret or Greek key design. The name "meander" recalls the twisting and turning path of the Maeander River.

Meanders are common decorative elements in Greek art and Roman art. The design is common in present-day architecture as a neoclassical element.

The word meander is of Greek origin and has also a special meaning in Greece: most ancient Greek temples incorporate the sign of the meander. Even the shield of Philip, the second king of Macedonia, was decorated with multiple symbols of the meander (The shield can be found in the Macedonian museum of Vergina in Greece). It is sometimes used as a symbol by Greek nationalist groups such as Hrisi Avgi, although its non-nationalist use is also common.

[edit] Examples of meander shapes

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