View source for Egg-and-dart

{{short description|Ornamental device alternating ovals with points}}
[[File:Detail of capital (egg and dart). 1 April 1992. - Jefferson Memorial, East Potomac Park, Washington, District of Columbia, DC HABS DC,WASH,453-32.tif|thumb|Egg-and-dart molding at the top of an [[Ionic order|Ionic capital]] at the [[Jefferson Memorial]]]]
'''Egg-and-dart''', also known as '''egg-and-tongue''', '''egg-and-anchor''', or '''egg-and-star''',<ref name=Lewis1986>{{cite book |last1=Lewis |first1=Philippa |last2=Darley |first2=G. |title=Dictionary of Ornament |url=https://archive.org/details/dictionaryoforna00phil |url-access=registration |publisher=Pantheon |location=New York |year=1986 |page=[https://archive.org/details/dictionaryoforna00phil/page/116 116] |isbn=0-394-50931-5}}</ref> is an [[Ornament (architecture)|ornamental]] device adorning the fundamental quarter-round, convex [[ovolo]] profile of [[molding (decorative)|moulding]], consisting of alternating details on the face of the ovolo—typically an [[egg-shaped]] object alternating with a V-shaped element<ref name=Lewis1986/> (e.g., an [[arrow]], [[anchor]], or [[Dart (missile)|dart]]). The device is carved or otherwise fashioned into ovolos composed of wood, stone, plaster, or other materials.

Egg-and-dart enrichment of the [[ovolo]] molding of the [[Ionic order|Ionic capital]] was used by [[Ancient Greece|ancient Greek]] builders, so it is found in [[ancient Greek]] architecture (e.g., the [[Erechtheion]] at the [[Acropolis of Athens]]),<ref>Shoe, Lucy T. (1936) ''Profiles of Greek Mouldings'',{{full|date=January 2020}} and Shoe, Lucy T. (1950) "Greek Mouldings of Kos and Rhodes", ''Hesperia'' '''19''' (4, October-December): 338-369.</ref> was used later by the Romans and continues to adorn capitals of modern buildings built in Classical styles (e.g., the Ionic capitals of the [[Jefferson Memorial]] in [[Washington, D.C.]], or the ones of the [[Romanian Athenaeum]] from [[Bucharest]]). Its ovoid shape (the egg) and serrated leaf (the dart) are believed to represent the [[opium poppy]] and its leaves. {{Citation needed|date=December 2023}} The moulding design element continues in use in [[neoclassical architecture]].<ref>{{cite web |last=Regan |first=Raina |title=Building Language: Egg-and-dart |url=http://historicindianapolis.com/building-language-egg-and-dart/ |website=Historic Indianapolis |publisher=historicindianapolis.com |date=February 21, 2012 |access-date=11 September 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Egg-and-dart |url=http://buffaloah.com/a/DCTNRY/e/egg.html |website=Buffalo as an Architectural Museum |publisher=buffaloah.com |access-date=11 September 2016}}</ref> As a mass-produced architectural motif at the turn of the 19th to the 20th century, it can, when seen alongside [[dentils]] (tooth-like blocks of wood in rows), be used to date a building to the [[Edwardian]] period, which began with the death of [[Queen Victoria]] in 1901.

==Gallery==
<gallery mode="packed" widths="170px" heights="170px">

File:Illustration of the polychrome Doric order of the east facade of the Propylaea on the Acropolis of Athens, Greece.jpg|[[Polychrome]] [[Ancient Greek architecture|Ancient Greek]] egg-and-dart on the last molding on the top of the pediment from the [[Propylaia (Acropolis of Athens)|Propylaia]], Athens, unknown architect, 437-432 BC

File:Detail Erechtheum Acropolis Athens.jpg|Ancient Greek egg-and-dart on the [[Erechtheion]], Athens, Greece, unknown architect or sculptor, 421-405 BC<ref>{{cite book|last1=Watkin|first1=David|title=A History of Western Architecture|date=2022|publisher=Laurence King|isbn=978-1-52942-030-2|page=38|url=|language=en}}</ref>

File:Erechteion - chapiteau.jpg|Ancient Greek egg-and-dart on an [[Ionic order|Ionic]] capital of the Erechtheion

File:Terracotta oinochoe- chous (jug) MET DT201072.jpg|[[Ancient Greek art|Ancient Greek]] egg-and-dart painted on the lower part of an [[oenochoe]], by the [[Meidias Painter]], 420–410 BC, terracotta, [[Metropolitan Museum of Art]], New York City

File:Bronze hydria (water jar) MET DT1071.jpg|Ancient Greek egg-and-dart on a [[hydria]] (water jar), 4th century BC, bronze, Metropolitan Museum of Art

File:Ancient Collection MfA Boston 1233.JPG|Ancient Greek egg-and-dart on the lip of a [[krater]], 375-350 BC, ceramic, [[Museum of Fine Arts, Boston|Museum of Fine Arts]], [[Boston]], US<ref>{{cite book|last1=Papaioannou|first1=Kostas|title=L’art grec|date=1975|publisher=Mazenod|isbn=|page=447|url=|language=fr}}</ref>

File:Cratere a calice in bronzo, con decorazioni a tema dionisiaco, forse dalla macedonia, 340 ac. ca., n. 26769.jpg|Ancient Greek egg-and-dart on a calyx-krater, {{circa}}340 BC, bronze, [[National Archaeological Museum, Athens|National Archaeological Museum]], Athens

File:Ionic capital, Temple of Portunus.JPG|[[Ancient Roman architecture|Roman]] egg-and-dart on an Ionic capital from the [[Temple of Portunus]], Rome, unknown architect or sculptor, early 4th century BC

File:Marble column from the Temple of Artemis at Sardis MET DP144130.jpg|Ancient Greek egg-and-dart on the [[abacus]] and with [[palmette]]s on them between the [[volute]]s of an Ionic column from the Temple of Artemis in [[Sardis]], [[Turkey]], {{circa}}300 BC, marble, Metropolitan Museum of Art

File:Clevelandart 1989.31.jpg|Ancient Greek egg-and-dart on an [[Ancient Egyptian art|Ancient Egyptian]] [[Mit Rahina ware]] vessel, {{circa}}200 BC, faience, [[Cleveland Museum of Art]], [[Cleveland]], US

File:0 Mosaïque de théâtre dionysiaque- Pal Massimo.JPG|Roman egg-and-dart on a mosaic with a Dionisiac theatre mask, late 1st century BC, mosaic, [[National Roman Museum of Palazzo Massimo]], Rome

File:0 'Niké' mosaïque à caissons - Pal. Massimo.JPG|Roman egg-and-dart on a mosaic with [[Nike (mythology)|Nike]], unknown date, mosaic, National Roman Museum of Palazzo Massimo

File:Colonne a mosaico in pasta vitrea dalla casa delle colonne a mosaico a pompei, inv. 9996, 10000, 9995 e 10001, 03.JPG|Roman egg-and-dart on the base of a column, unknown date, mosaic, [[National Archaeological Museum, Naples|National Archaeological Museum]], [[Naples]], US

File:Maison Carree in Nimes (9).jpg|Roman egg-and-dart on the [[cornice]] of the [[Maison carrée]], [[Nîmes]], France, unknown architect or sculptor, 2 AD

File:Arc titus entablement face est.jpg|Roman egg-and-dart on the [[Arch of Titus]], Rome, unknown architect or sculptor, 1st-century AD

File:Arco di tito, rilievi 02.JPG|Roman egg-and-dart in the [[coffer]]s on the ceiling in the Arch of Titus

file:ArcoTitoTrabeazioneCapComp.jpg|Roman egg-and-dart on a [[Composite order|Composite]] capital of the Arch of Titus

File:Roman sarcophagus with lions, 3rd century AD, marble, Antikensammlung SL 3.2-2, in the Neues Museum, Berlin (03).jpg|Roman egg-and-dart on a sarcophagus with lions, 3rd century AD, marble, [[Neues Museum]], [[Berlin]]

File:Achillesplatte Augusta Raurica.jpg|Roman egg-and-dart border of a plate from the silver treasure of [[Augusta Raurica]], mid 4th century, silver, [[Römermuseum Augst|Augusta Raurica Museum]], near [[Augusta Raurica]], [[Switzerland]]<ref>{{cite book|last1=Virginia|first1=L. Campbell|title=Ancient Rome - Pocket Museum|date=2017|publisher=Thames & Hudson|isbn=978-0-500-51959-2|page=245|url=|language=en}}</ref>

File:Euphrasian Basilica Capital 3.JPG|[[Byzantine architecture|Byzantine]] egg-and-dart on a Composite capital in the [[Euphrasian Basilica]], [[Poreč]], [[Croatia]], unknown architect, 6th century

File:Aya sofia, interno, aula, pennacchi e capitelli traforati, 11.jpg|Byzantine egg-and-dart on a basket capital in the [[Hagia Sophia]], [[Istanbul]], [[Turkey]], by [[Anthemius of Tralles]] or [[Isidore of Miletus]], 6th century

File:Romans-sur-Isère Collégiale Saint-Barnard 150333.JPG|[[Romanesque architecture|Romanesque]] egg-and-dart on a capital from the [[Collegiate Church of Saint-Barnard]], [[Romans-sur-Isère]], France, unknown architect or sculptor, 838

File:Desiderio da settignano, tabernacolo del ss. sacramento, 1461, 05.JPG|[[Renaissance architecture|Renaissance]] egg-and-dart on the San Lorenzo Tabernacle, by [[Desiderio da Settignano]] and [[Baccio da Montelupo]], 1461, marble, [[Basilica of San Lorenzo, Florence|Basilica of San Lorenzo]], [[Florence]], Italy

Détail de la cheminée de la grande salle - orbes et dards.JPG|Renaissance egg-and-dart in [[Hôtel d'Alluye]], [[Blois]], France, unknown architect or sculptor, 1498 (or 1500)-1508

File:Jug, 1854 (CH 18607019).jpg|[[Neoclassicism|Neoclassical]] reinterpretation of the egg-and-dart on a jug, 1854, unglazed porcelain ([[Parian ware]]), [[Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum]], New York City

File:Town hall of Paris Ier arrondissement 2, Paris 2010.jpg|[[Neoclassical architecture|Neoclassical]] egg-and-dart on the Ionic capitals of the Town Hall of the [[1st arrondissement of Paris]], by [[Jacques Ignace Hittorff]], 1858-1860

File:26 Bulevardul Regina Elisabeta, Bucharest (09).jpg|Neoclassical egg-and-dart on arches of [[Cinema București]] ([[Bulevardul Regina Elisabeta (Bucharest)|Bulevardul Regina Elisabeta]] no. 26), [[Bucharest]], [[Romania]], attributed to [[Alexandru Orăscu]], 1884

File:18 Strada Grigore Cobălcescu, Bucharest (05).jpg|[[Renaissance Revival architecture|Renaissance Revival]] margent on a pilaster of [[Strada Grigore Cobălcescu]] no. 18, Bucharest, unknown architect, {{circa}}1890

File:59 Bulevardul Regina Elisabeta, Bucharest (05).jpg|Neoclassical egg-art-dart on the cornice of Bulevardul Regina Elisabeta no. 59, Bucharest, unknown architect, {{circa}}1900

File:Grave of the George Assan and Petre Petrini Family in the Bellu Cemetery in Bucharest, Romania (09).jpg|[[Art Nouveau]] egg-and-dart on the Grave of the George Assan and Petre Petrini Family in the [[Bellu Cemetery]] in Bucharest, unknown architect or sculptor, {{circa}}1900

File:4 Strada Paris, Bucharest (03).jpg|[[Art Deco]] egg-and-dart on a door inside [[Strada Paris]] no. 4, Bucharest, unknown architect or sculptor, {{circa}}1930

File:Sculpture 09297.jpg|Art Deco reinterpretation of the egg-and-dart (above the [[mascaron (architecture)|mascaron]] and under the [[dentil]]s) in the [[Reims Opera House]], [[Reims]], France, by [[François Maille]] and [[Louis Sollier]], 1931–1932<ref name="Georges Banu">{{Cite book|title=Le Rouge et Or|first=Georges|last=Banu|publisher=Flammarion|year=1989|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Kd1GoiiWmX0C|language=fr|page=279|isbn=9782080109583}}</ref>

Orna100-Blatt-Eierstab.png|Egg-and-dart motifs (on right) from ''[[:commons:Category:Meyer's Ornament|Meyer's Ornament]]''
</gallery>

==See also==
* [[Rais-de-cœur]]
* [[Ionic order]] 

==References==
{{reflist}}

==Further reading==
* {{cite book |last=Lewis |first=Philippa |last2=Darley |first2=G. |title=Dictionary of Ornament |url=https://archive.org/details/dictionaryoforna00phil |url-access=registration |publisher=Pantheon |location=New York |year=1986 |page=[https://archive.org/details/dictionaryoforna00phil/page/116 116] |isbn=0-394-50931-5}}

==External links==
* {{commonscat-inline|Egg and dart}}

{{Ornaments}}

[[Category:Ornaments (architecture)]]
[[Category:Visual motifs]]

{{architecturalelement-stub}}