Acanthus Scroll Lozenge Onlay

A diamond of curling foliage radiating out from a single carved flower. This is a vertical, lozenge-shaped ornament with fourfold symmetry. At its heart sits a round eight-petal rosette; from it, pairs of acanthus scrolls spiral outward in mirrored sweeps, tightening into snail-shell volutes and softening into feathered leaf tips. Two small ribboned bosses sit above and below the centre, and the whole motif tapers to slender fleur points at top and bottom, giving it that elongated diamond silhouette. The relief is crisp and airy — plenty of pierced-looking negative space between the scrolls — so it feels light rather than heavy despite the detail. It's a versatile onlay: centre it on a cabinet or cupboard door, a headboard, a drawer front, a chest lid or a mirror frame, anywhere you want a single focal flourish. Cutting notes • Symmetrical and single-sided — machine it flat, face up, and it glues straight onto the workpiece. • The tight scroll cores want a small finishing ball-nose (1–2mm) so the volutes stay sharp and don't blob. • Choose a fine hardwood such as maple, beech or lime; align the long axis with the grain to protect the slender end points. • If a tip snaps, it's an easy glue repair — but a slower finishing feed usually avoids it entirely. Finishes beautifully gilded, limed or simply oiled to show the grain.