page_title: Palmette
section_title: Hellenistic "Flame palmettes"
hierarchical_section_title: Palmette / Classical architecture / Hellenistic "Flame palmettes"
caption_attribution_description: English: Rampurva bull capital detail. Rampurva bull in Presidential Palace high closeup
context_page_description: The palmette is a motif in decorative art which, in its most characteristic expression, resembles the fan-shaped leaves of a palm tree. It has a far-reaching history, originating in ancient Egypt with a subsequent development through the art of most of Eurasia, often in forms that bear relatively little resemblance to the original. In ancient Greek and Roman uses it is also known as the anthemion. It is found in most artistic media, but especially as an architectural ornament, whether carved or painted, and painted on ceramics. It is very often a component of the design of a frieze or border. The complex evolution of the palmette was first traced by Alois Riegl in his Stilfragen of 1893. The half-palmette, bisected vertically, is also a very common motif, found in many mutated and vestigial forms, and especially important in the development of plant-based scroll ornament.
context_section_description: From the 5th century, palmettes tended to have sharply splaying leaves. From the 4th century however, the end of the leaves tend to turn in, forming what is called the "flame palmette" design. This is the design that was adopted in Hellenistic architecture and became very popular on a wide geographical scale. This is the design that was adopted by India in the 3rd century BC for some of its sculptural friezes, such as on the abaci of the Pillars of Ashoka,  or the central design of the Pataliputra capital, probably through the Seleucid Empire or Hellenistic cities such as Ai-Khanoum.
caption: "Flame palmettes" around a lotus, on the Rampurva bull capital, India, 3rd century BC
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