strapwork

strapwork, decorative motif, in flat relief, consisting variously of interlaced scrollwork, braiding, shield forms, or cross-hatching, often pierced with circular or oval holes. At times strapwork is bordered with a raised fillet (band). The whole design is usually formed of connected units, all on the same plane, as though made by an elaborately cut and pierced strap that has been applied to a flat surface. Strapwork is usually done in wood, metal, or plaster, although stone has been used occasionally, as in the Salzhaus at Frankfurt am Main (late 16th century).

Strapwork developed from the flat scrolls common in Islāmic metalwork. It was used extensively in the 16th and early 17th centuries and was a characteristic form of Mannerist decoration. In Flanders, the Netherlands, and Germany, strapwork was most fully developed. In fact, in the architectural ornamentation and furniture of the Low Countries, it was often the only type of ornament used. Strapwork was introduced into England in the late 16th century by Flemish and German woodworkers, and it was made popular in 18th-century French decoration by Jean Berain, court designer to Louis XIV.