Information About

Quatrefoil





IN HERALDRY

In Heraldic terminology, a quatrefoil is a representation of a flower with four petals, or a leaf with four leaflets (such as a four-leaf clover). It is sometimes shown "slipped", i.e. with an attached stalk. However, it is not defined as a flower, but called a "foil".


IN ARCHITECTURE/SYMBOLISM



In architecture and traditional Christian symbolism, a quatrefoil is a symmetrical shape which forms the overall outline of four partially-overlapping circles of the same diameter. Two common types of quatrefoil are shown in the first two images below (click on the images for larger illustrations, and explanation of the geometry involved):