An acroterion, acroterium, or akroteria
is an
architectural ornament placed on a flat pedestal called the ''acroter'' or
plinth
A pedestal (from French ''piédestal'', Italian ''piedistallo'' 'foot of a stall') or plinth is a support at the bottom of a statue, vase, column, or certain altars. Smaller pedestals, especially if round in shape, may be called socles. In c ...
, and mounted at the apex or corner of the
pediment
Pediments are gables, usually of a triangular shape.
Pediments are placed above the horizontal structure of the lintel, or entablature, if supported by columns. Pediments can contain an overdoor and are usually topped by hood moulds.
A pedimen ...
of a building in the
classical style. An acroterion placed at the outer angles of the pediment is an ''acroterion angularium'' (' means ‘at the corners’).
The acroterion may take a wide variety of forms, such as a statue, tripod, disc, urn,
palmette
The palmette is a motif in decorative art which, in its most characteristic expression, resembles the fan-shaped leaves of a palm tree. It has a far-reaching history, originating in ancient Egypt with a subsequent development through the art o ...
or some other sculpted feature. Acroteria are also found in
Gothic architecture
Gothic architecture (or pointed architecture) is an architectural style that was prevalent in Europe from the late 12th to the 16th century, during the High and Late Middle Ages, surviving into the 17th and 18th centuries in some areas. It e ...
. They are sometimes incorporated into furniture designs.
Etymology
The word comes from the
Greek
Greek may refer to:
Greece
Anything of, from, or related to Greece, a country in Southern Europe:
*Greeks, an ethnic group.
*Greek language, a branch of the Indo-European language family.
**Proto-Greek language, the assumed last common ancestor ...
' ( 'summit, extremity'), from the comparative form of the adjective ' (, 'extreme, endmost'). It was
Latinized by the
Romans
Roman or Romans most often refers to:
*Rome, the capital city of Italy
* Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD
*Roman people, the people of ancient Rome
*''Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a lette ...
as '. ''Acroteria'' is the plural of both the original Greek and the Latin form.
According to Webb, during the
Hellenistic period
In Classical antiquity, the Hellenistic period covers the time in Mediterranean history after Classical Greece, between the death of Alexander the Great in 323 BC and the emergence of the Roman Empire, as signified by the Battle of Actium in 3 ...
the winged victory or
Nike
Nike often refers to:
* Nike (mythology), a Greek goddess who personifies victory
* Nike, Inc., a major American producer of athletic shoes, apparel, and sports equipment
Nike may also refer to:
People
* Nike (name), a surname and feminine give ...
figure was considered to be "the most appropriate motif for figured akroteria.”
Metropolitan Museum of Art
The Metropolitan Museum of Art of New York City, colloquially "the Met", is the largest art museum in the Americas. Its permanent collection contains over two million works, divided among 17 curatorial departments. The main building at 1000 ...
(New York City)
File:Marble akroterion of the grave monument of Timotheos and Nikon MET GR97.jpg, Akroterion of the grave monument of Timotheos and Nikon, 350–325 BC, marble, in the Metropolitan Museum of Art
File:Monument Gordon 06.JPG, Acroterion on the Gordon Monument
The Gordon Monument is a neoclassical monument to a slain warrior on the battlefield of Waterloo. The person commemorated is Lt Colonel Sir Alexander Gordon (1786–1815).
It was erected in 1817 by the siblings of the deceased who included a ...
in Waterloo
See also
*
Antefix
An antefix (from Latin ', to fasten before) is a vertical block which terminates and conceals the covering tiles of a tiled roof (see imbrex and tegula, monk and nun). It also serves to protect the join from the elements. In grand buildings, the ...
*
Finial
A finial (from '' la, finis'', end) or hip-knob is an element marking the top or end of some object, often formed to be a decorative feature.
In architecture, it is a small decorative device, employed to emphasize the Apex (geometry), apex of a d ...
*
List of classical architecture terms
The following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to classical architecture:
Classical architecture – architecture of classical antiquity, that is, ancient Greek architecture and the architecture of ancient Rome. It al ...
References
External links
*{{cite encyclopedia , url=http://www.britannica.com/eb/article-9003592/acroterion , encyclopedia=Encyclopædia Britannica , title=Acroterion , id=article 9003592
Ornaments (architecture)
Ancient Greek architecture
Roofs
Ancient Roman architectural elements