What is this Baroque motif and ornament?

What is this Baroque motif and ornament?

• A. rocaille
• B. barley twist
• C. scrolls
• D. modillion

Answer: (B)

Baroque ornament often emphasizes movement with bold, rope-like forms. The motif shown is a rope-like, tightly twisted shaft—the barley twist—resembling barley seeds in a double helix. This decorative device appears on furniture legs, stair balustrades, and architectural details to add texture and rhythm, exemplifying the Baroque taste for dynamic surface ornament. It isn’t rocaille, which centers on shells and rockwork; nor is it a simple scroll, which is the more extended, curved S- or C-shape; nor is it a modillion, which is a projecting architectural block under a cornice. So the distinctive Baroque choice here is the barley twist.

Baroque ornament often emphasizes movement with bold, rope-like forms. The motif shown is a rope-like, tightly twisted shaft—the barley twist—resembling barley seeds in a double helix. This decorative device appears on furniture legs, stair balustrades, and architectural details to add texture and rhythm, exemplifying the Baroque taste for dynamic surface ornament. It isn’t rocaille, which centers on shells and rockwork; nor is it a simple scroll, which is the more extended, curved S- or C-shape; nor is it a modillion, which is a projecting architectural block under a cornice. So the distinctive Baroque choice here is the barley twist.