Anthemion

Anthemion is a decorative floral motif used in ancient Greek and Roman art, named from the Greek for "flower." The core element is a stylized flower, typically a palmette or a circular flower with radiating petals, sometimes rendered as a series of connected blossoms along a band. The motif often appears in architecture, pottery, metalwork, and coin design, where it serves as a continuous frieze or ornamental border on friezes, cornices, capitals, and around vases.

In classical decoration, the anthemion is commonly realized as a linear procession of stylized blossoms—often lotus or honeysuckle-inspired—linked by slender stems, sometimes paired with scrolls or volutes. Its repeating form creates rhythm much like a cellular border. Variations include the lotus-palmette and the radiating petal form, with petals arranged as simple crescents or as a starburst around a central disk.

The anthemion remained a staple in ancient art and was later adopted in Roman decoration. It experienced revival in later periods, notably during the Renaissance and Neoclassical revivals, where it was used to evoke classical antiquity on architectural details, furniture, and decorative arts.