cantellation

Cantellation is a term used to describe a crenellated, battlement-like edge or pattern on a surface, most often found in heraldry and historic architecture. The term denotes a profile in which the edge is broken into regular rectangular projections and indentations, giving the surface a stepped, castle-like appearance. In heraldic descriptions, cantellation refers to borders or divisions that exhibit this battlemented outline, rather than a smooth or curved edge. A shield or escutcheon described as having a cantellated border carries a visual motif associated with fortifications and defensive architecture.

In architectural ornament, cantellation describes similar crenellated profiles applied to coping, cornices, friezes, or wall parapets. The effect is decorative and historical, evoking medieval fortifications. The term is largely specialized and appears primarily in technical lexicons, art-historical catalogs, and heraldic treatises.

Cantellation is not widely used outside these contexts in contemporary design, and modern plain-edge forms have largely supplanted decorative battlement motifs in most casual applications. Related terms include crenellation and battlement, which describe a broader class of fortification-inspired edge forms.