This type of frame, known as ‘gadrooned’, was popular in Britain at the end of the seventeenth century and into the first quarter of the eighteenth century. The style takes its name from the French architectural term godron, describing a band of convex moulding that resembles a teardrop or flower petal. In candlelit interiors of the past the soft light would have caught on this highest part of the frame. This decorative form also appears on silverware of the period.  The development and popularity of this motif may be connected to the influx of Huguenot craftspeople from France in the late seventeenth century, and the work of French-inspired designers such as Daniel Marot, who later worked for William III. The gadrooned ornament appears on the base of the legs and as a border on a magnificent silver table thought to have been designed by Marot in the Royal Collection (RCIN 35301). This illustrates how the decoration might appear on furniture and it is easy to imagine how the motif could be adapted for use on frames.

Gadrooned frames are easy to re-use, as the repeated pattern can be cut and adapted to fit differently sized paintings without negatively affecting the overall proportions or symmetry. In addition, the design complements many styles of painting, which might explain why it has been frequently copied in later centuries. The pattern is widely seen in the Royal Collection, particularly on portraits, although it has not yet been connected with one particular residence or re-framing campaign of the late 17th or early 18th century. 

For an example of this frame type see RCIN 7405777.