Greek Key Pattern, Labyrinth, Maze, Key Pattern, and Fret
The Greek Key pattern has many different names which include: The pattern is a desirable motif often found on Georgian jewelry. Collectors who invest in Georgian Jewelry usually like to have authentic examples commemorative of the late Georgian period. Greek key patterns were sometimes incorporated into Georgian jewels in the late Georgian period and may be found around the bezel of a ring, or a running ornamental design of repeated symmetrical figures, often contained around the band like you see in the photo at the top of this page. Antique Jewelry with the Greek key motif is becoming increasingly harder to find because Antique jewelry collectors do not like parting with these pieces. Georgian jewelry featuring a Greek key pattern is highly desirable and you will pay more for Antique Jewelry where the ancient Greek design appears. Historians think this unusual pattern originated from Greek mythology and symbolic of the labyrinth that imprisoned the Minotaur. In Greek mythology the centaur had the torso of a person combined with the body of a horse. The pattern is also known as a running ornament or 'meander' when the design is continuous or intertwined as foliage meanders. The Meaner motif when used in architecture in Anatolia in Turkey is referring to the river "Meander". The Spiral Meander motif has a long history in the Mediterranean. If the decoration forms interlaced patterns it is know as Guilloche and is also found in Classical Greek and Roman architecture including georgian revival, Greek revival, Neoclassicism and Second Empire. In Europe it was the dominant style of architecture during the 18th century. The style of architecture also influenced and was reflected in the jewelry of the time.
In the photograph you see below is a pavement in the streets of Rhodes, made from beach stones, featuring the "meander" pattern. This is the work of Hannes Grobe, who kindly permitted me to reproduce this image here.
Curved or angular variations of the same key patterns are also in existence. Being very ancient motifs they occur in the earliest farming communities in Anatolia in the six millennium BC and were a major feature design in pottery decoration throughout Neolithic Europe. Designs based on spiral scrolls, circles, and meandering bands are typical of the art of the Mycenaean civilization on the Greek mainland in the middle of the second millennium BC. During the Georgian neoclassical movement when Europe was having a revival in classical Greece, the Greek key pattern above all others signified Greek style and taste. The connection with water persisted into Roman times when the motif was frequently used on mosaic floors in bath houses. Men's jewelry may also contain the greek key pattern. Males have been wearing jewelry for as long as women, but generally for different reasons. Women’s jewelry is primarily worn to enhance her beauty. Men's jewelry has traditionally been worn as a status symbol, badge of rank, or as recognition of achievement. Popular motifs on men's contemporary jewelry may include Celtic knot patterns, Greek key designs, Arabic geometric patterns and abstract designs. Return to the top of Greek Key Pattern Return to Georgian Jewelry Return to Antique Jewelry Investor Home Page
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