Guilloché

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Image:GuillocheSSalvatoreinLauroRome.jpg The guilloche interlace pattern (illustrated, right), a conventional enriched moulding in classical architecture, may enclose empty space or be rosetted as it is here; the result is a moulding that could be said to be guilloché. Bands of guillloche, picked up from Roman and Renaissance practice, became a widely-used motif of Neoclassicism.

A Guilloché or engine turning pattern is an ornamental pattern formed of two or more curved bands that interlace to repeat a circular design, most commonly seen on banknotes. These patterns were traditionally used for security printing purposes as a protection against counterfeit and forgery, as well as for decorating valuable objects such as Fabergé eggs and pocket watches.

The devices used to make these patterns are variously called "rose engines" or "geometric lathes".

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