It reads to me as a space-filling motif derived from a sun symbol. The overall effect is one of a gentle texture, like a sheet-metal ceiling. The fleur de lys makes it seem specifically French. More than that? I'm not sure what other conclusion you could draw.
That sounds like a very good idea.
We could set up a shared account on Google docs, and give the password to those who want to participate. That way everybody who has info to add can access it.