Egg-and-dart

Egg-and-dart, also known as egg-and-tongue, egg-and-anchor, or egg-and-star, is an ornamental device adorning the fundamental quarter-round, convex ovolo profile of moulding, consisting of alternating details on the face of the ovolo—typically an egg-shaped object alternating with a V-shaped element. The device is carved or otherwise fashioned into ovolos composed of wood, stone, plaster, or other materials.
Egg-and-dart enrichment of the ovolo molding of the Ionic capital was used by ancient Greek builders, so it is found in ancient Greek architecture, was used later by the Romans and continues to adorn capitals of modern buildings built in Classical styles. Its ovoid shape and serrated leaf are believed to represent the opium poppy and its leaves. The moulding design element continues in use in neoclassical architecture. As a mass-produced architectural motif at the turn of the 19th to the 20th century, it can, when seen alongside dentils, be used to date a building to the Edwardian period, which began with the death of Queen Victoria in 1901.