FESTOON (from Fr. feston, Ital. festone, from a

See also:

• LATE

Late

See also:

• LAT

Lat. festo, originally a " festal

See also:

• GARLAND, JOHN (fl. 1202—1252)

garland," Lat. festum, feast)  , a wreath or garland, and so in architecture a conventional arrangement of flowers, foliage or fruit bound together and suspended by ribbons, either from a decorated knot, or held in the mouths of lions, or suspended across the back of bulls' heads as in the Temple of Vesta at Tivoli . The "motif" is sometimes known as a "swag." It was largely employed both by the Greeks and Romans and formed the principal decoration of altars, friezes and panels . The ends of the ribbons are sometimes formed into bows or twisted curves; when in addition a group of foliage or flowers is suspended it is called a " drop." Its origin is probably due to the representation in stone of the garlands of natural flowers, &c., which were hung up over an entrance doorway on fete days, or suspended round the altar .