(pronounced kee PA-turn)

No, we’re not talking locks and escutcheons and such. We’re talking ornamentation, not functionality. You may have seen the phrases “Greek key” and “Chinese key,” and they’re all virtually synonymous. These are very structured, angular, symmetrical geometric designs held within a border or a band. Once you know what they are, you’ll start to see them everywhere: on buildings, furniture, fabrics, jewelry, accessories, etc. The idea of them is so old that they are the definition of “classic.”

See also: fret