Trefoil and Quatrefoil: The Two Basic Motifs

A group of repeating small patterns. Three or four curved petals form a symmetrical shape with pointed edges, appearing at the top of window tracery, in the openwork of railings, in the carving of handrails, and in the moldings of door panels. Only one number of leaves is used throughout the same building, repeated to create identification. Avoid: mixing three, four, and five leaves causing confusion, depicting the petals as rounded shapes without points, having too large a difference in pattern sizes, adding realistic plant leaves.

Translated from Chinese by AI.

一組重複出現的小圖案。三片或四片圓弧花瓣圍成一個對稱的形,邊緣是尖的,出現在窗花格的頂端、欄杆的鏤空、扶手的雕花與門板的線腳上。同一棟建築只用一種葉數,重複使用形成識別。避免:混用三葉、四葉與五葉造成混亂、把花瓣畫成圓潤無尖的形狀、圖案的尺寸大小差距過大、加入寫實的植物葉片。