1911 Encyclopædia Britannica/Helix

HELIX (Gr. ἕλιξ, a spiral or twist), an architectural term for the spiral tendril which is carried up to support the angles of the abacus of the Corinthian capital; from the same stalk springs a second helix rising to the centre of the capital, its junction with one on the opposite side being sometimes marked by a flower. Sometimes the term “volute” is given to the angle helix, which is incorrect, as it is of a different design and rises from the same stalk as the central helices. Its origin is probably metallic, that is to say, it was copied from the conventional treatment in Corinthian bronze of the tendrils of a plant.