When is the last time you wished on a four leaf clover? Did you know you were wishing on a quatrefoil? I didn’t. In fact, before I had the privilege of listing this gorgeous, oceanfront home at 1425 DeBordieu Boulevard, I had never really heard of them, but was very impressed with how the owner, designer and architect used them throughout the interior and exterior of the home. So I did a little re
search and decided to share it with you.
Each of these pictures were taken at the DeBordieu home, which is just south of Pawleys Island, SC. Should you require more detailed information, CLICK HERE or on the picture of the home above and you will be linked to more pictures, details and a virtual tour. Please contact me via TroiKaz@DeBordieu.com, or call me at 843-455-4523.
Back to the quatrefoil…. according to wickipedia, the word quatrefoil etymologically means “four leaves”, and applies to general four-lobed shapes in various contexts.
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 and traditional Christian symbolism, a quatrefoil is
a symmetrical shape which forms the overall outline of four partially-overlapping circles of the same diameter.
The quatrefoil enjoyed its peak popularity during the Gothic Revival and Renaissance, but can still be seen on countless churches and cathedrals today. It is most commonly found as tracery, mainly in Gothic architecture, where a quatrefoil can often be seen at the top of a Gothic arch, sometimes with stained glass on the interior.
In art, the quatrefoil is a type of decorative framework (mainly used in engravi
ng), consisting of an architectural quatrefoil combined with a square. Among the most famous works of art employing the quatrefoil are the bronze panels on the South Doors of the Baptistery in Florence by Andrea Pisano, the bronze panels of the North Doors of the Baptistery in Florence by Lorenzo Ghiberti, and also Filippo Brunelleschi’s famous competition entry for the same doors, The Sacrifice of Isaac) as well as “Head of an Angel” by Piero della Francesca.
In the U.S. Marine Corps, quatrefoil refers to a four-pointed decoration on the top of a warrant or commissioned Marine officer’s dress and service caps. According to tradition, the design was first used with Marine officers on sailing ships so that Marine sharpshooters in the rigging did not shoot their own officers on the deck during close-quarters gun battles (as 
when crews of opposing ships attempted to board each other’s ship).
An official part of U.S. Marine Corps officer uniforms since 1859, the quatrefoil was said to initially have been crossed pieces of rope sewed into officers’ caps before becoming officially mandated as a uniform item.
My favorite quatrefoil is the first one I mentioned…..the four-leaf clover, a well-known symbol of good luck. The family that ends up purchasing this unique property in this “buyers market” will not only be lucky, but very wise.
There has never been a better time to consider a purchase at DeBordieu!
