Pulvinated frieze above the doorcase in the Stone Hall at Holkham Hall, Norfolk
Flickr
Flickr
A frieze is the horizontal central band of an entablature, below the cornice and above the architrave. It can be plain or enriched with sculptured reliefs; if it has a convex profile it is known as a pulvinated frieze. In interiors, the frieze of a room is the section of wall over the picture rail and below the cornice.[1]
The term is also used less formally to describe any distinct decorative band.[2]