Palmette Fountain With Swan Scrolls

A leafy fountain guarded by two scroll-necked birds. The centre of this onlay throws up a fountain of slender leaves, a palmette spray that fans open above a knotted collar, with a small five-petal lily hanging as a drop beneath it. Either side, a scroll rolls over and resolves into a stylised bird's head, a curved neck and beak with a single carved eye, and from each of those a beaded laurel sprig trails outward, tapering to a fine point. The whole thing is mirror-symmetric and reads as light and neoclassical rather than heavy baroque. It suits a slim horizontal space: the crest of a cabinet or wardrobe, the hood of a longcase or mantel clock, or a drawer front that wants a touch of formality. CNC notes: • The thin beaded sprigs are the weak point, so nest them along the grain and cut them in a final light pass. • Finish the bird heads and palmette veins with a 1 to 2mm tapered ball for crisp definition. • Shallow enough for MDF or hardwood; hold-down tabs on the outer tips stop them lifting. • Prime, then dry-brush a metallic over a dark base to bring out the beadwork.