Refers to a style that employs a particular type of ornament and was popular in 17th-century Europe. It is characterized by lobate scrolls, embossed relief work, and plastic, curvilinear, rippling forms that can resemble a human ear, to which the name refers. It developed in Utrecht, the Netherlands, in the early 17th century. The style may be seen in various art forms, but was most often used in metalwork. The style is derived from 16th-century graphic works of the Italian Mannerists, although the Dutch goldsmiths Adam and Paulus van Vianen are often credited with its invention.

Source: AAT

http://vocab.getty.edu/page/aat/300021165