The decorative style which succeeded baroque during the first half of the 18th century. Compared with the monumental symmetry of baroque ornament, the asymmetrical shapes of rococo are lighter, more feminine and often entertaining. The term 'rococo' is said to be a corruption of the French words rocaille and cocaille which refer to the picturesque formations of rocks and shell patterns frequently forming part of rococo ornament. This style was most popular during the reign of Louis XV. Its arrival in Britain coincided and merged with the Gothic Revival and the often whimsical patterns of Chinoiserie. The rococo style had only a marginal effect on clock decoration. It revealed itself mostly in the flower and shell designs and C scrolls of 18th-century brass spandrel mounts on clock dials, and in the engraving of little landscapes on dial centers and on the backplates of bracket clocks.