DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.32867#0214
182
ARCHITECTURE OF THE SIXTH CENTURY
feature is certainly most nai've and unusual and, one would say, peculiar to Northern
Syria, though something similar, on a very small scale, may be seen in an out-of-the-
way Gothic ruin in distant Scotland — the chapter-house of the abbey at Dundrennan.
In the early part of the century ornamental pilasters were introduced, ostensibly to
carry the string moldings. The shaft portion of these pilasters is ornamented with
widely spaced grooves or channelings, and
their capitals are occasionally of free Co-
rinthian design, though more frequently
of geometrical patterns. Their bases are
formed by breaking out the base molding
of the building. Corbeled capitals con-
tinued to be used for the colonnades of
private residences, in connection with
richly molded architraves. The heavy
ovolo molding, sometimes richly carved,
sometimes plain, was employed much
more extravagantly than in the century
preceding. It is found as a string-course
in the ornament of pyramidal tombs, and
as the crowning feature in the decoration of doorways of buildings of all kinds.
Windows are variously treatcd: often they are rectangular, variously proportioned,
with molded jambs and lintel, or, again, the lintel is cut to semicircular form and
molded; in other examples the opcning is rec-
tangular, but the molding describes an arch upon
the face of the lintel, leaving a semicircular
lunette above the window, which is eithcr left
plain or carved with diaperwork in foliate or
geometrical patterns. Interior ornament is
much more lavish in the larger churches than
formerly. Capitals generally show a free treat-
ment of the Corinthian order, with the acanthus
leaves carefully carved, but often twisted into a
whorl. 1 Occasionally one finds capitals carved
in a style more like the Byzantine, though the
bell shape of the classic form is retained, and
the dosseret is not used. Less frequently the
debased Ioniccapital (Fig. 18) occurs ; a bizarre
treatment of this in an engaged column is shown
in the accompanying illustration. The moldings around the arch of the apse are in
Engaged column of upper colonnade at Sakhrin.
Windovv with incised moldings at Sakhrin.
1 See Fig. 19, p. 41.
ARCHITECTURE OF THE SIXTH CENTURY
feature is certainly most nai've and unusual and, one would say, peculiar to Northern
Syria, though something similar, on a very small scale, may be seen in an out-of-the-
way Gothic ruin in distant Scotland — the chapter-house of the abbey at Dundrennan.
In the early part of the century ornamental pilasters were introduced, ostensibly to
carry the string moldings. The shaft portion of these pilasters is ornamented with
widely spaced grooves or channelings, and
their capitals are occasionally of free Co-
rinthian design, though more frequently
of geometrical patterns. Their bases are
formed by breaking out the base molding
of the building. Corbeled capitals con-
tinued to be used for the colonnades of
private residences, in connection with
richly molded architraves. The heavy
ovolo molding, sometimes richly carved,
sometimes plain, was employed much
more extravagantly than in the century
preceding. It is found as a string-course
in the ornament of pyramidal tombs, and
as the crowning feature in the decoration of doorways of buildings of all kinds.
Windows are variously treatcd: often they are rectangular, variously proportioned,
with molded jambs and lintel, or, again, the lintel is cut to semicircular form and
molded; in other examples the opcning is rec-
tangular, but the molding describes an arch upon
the face of the lintel, leaving a semicircular
lunette above the window, which is eithcr left
plain or carved with diaperwork in foliate or
geometrical patterns. Interior ornament is
much more lavish in the larger churches than
formerly. Capitals generally show a free treat-
ment of the Corinthian order, with the acanthus
leaves carefully carved, but often twisted into a
whorl. 1 Occasionally one finds capitals carved
in a style more like the Byzantine, though the
bell shape of the classic form is retained, and
the dosseret is not used. Less frequently the
debased Ioniccapital (Fig. 18) occurs ; a bizarre
treatment of this in an engaged column is shown
in the accompanying illustration. The moldings around the arch of the apse are in
Engaged column of upper colonnade at Sakhrin.
Windovv with incised moldings at Sakhrin.
1 See Fig. 19, p. 41.