handrail
A railing that serves as a hand support along a stairway. (Phillips, 1994) Handrail curves have many forms:
- Whorl: A less common but historically accurate term for the spiral design element.
- Volute: The technical architectural term for a spiral-shaped ornament, often seen at the start of a traditional staircase.
- Scroll: A general term for any spiral or curled decorative element. In ironwork, these are often classified as “C-scrolls” or “S-scrolls” based on their shape.
- Monkey’s Tail: A popular nickname for a scroll that spirals inward, resembling the curled tail of a monkey.
- Turnout: A simpler version of a volute that features a slight quarter-turn curve away from the stairway rather than a full spiral.
- Lamb’s Tongue: A specific type of forged termination that swoops down and curls back up slightly, resembling a tongue. (Kremer, 2026)
Photo of lamb’s tongue handrail termination from Plainfield, New Jersey, 2018.
top rail, rail