Apparently the ubiquitous “egg & dart” motif was inspired by the Greek fighting formation or “phalanx”. That’s one theory anyway, implying that those ‘eggs’ are really ‘shields’. Certainly there are Greek vases that use rows of soldiers as rhythmic decorative elements. Actually this reminds me of the Guilloche also.
I do think the connection between vase painting and architectural ornament is worth pursuing. But we have a race to run, so let’s move on.
Like many other elements in classical design, what appears to be a simple formulaic device turns out to be capable of much variety. So I started out by reviewing the versions in my archive. The differences may be quite subtle, but when you look carefully, almost every example takes a slightly different approach.
During my third pumpkin adventure I veered off into the animal kingdom, feeling that I had already “done vegetables “. Along the way I developed a family that I called “the universal egg “
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