Glossary of Medieval Art and
Architecture Types of Capital
capital
Decorative element that divides a column or pier from
the masonry which it supports.
Click on an image below to get more information about
that type of capital.
Types of Capital
block,
cushion, or cubic capital: A simple
cube-like
capital with bottom corners tapered. The block capital is particularly
characteristic of Ottonian and Romanesque architecture in Germany and
England.
Corinthian capital
:
A capital used originally by the Greeks in a system
of supports called the Corinthian order.
It is decorated with 3 superimposed rows of carved foliage (acanthus
leaves)
around the capital. At the comers of the capital there are small
scroll-like volutes.
crocket capital
:
A simplified adaptation of the Corinthian capital. The
crocket capital was commonly used in the Gothic period
historiated or figured capital: A
capital which is decorated with
figures of animals, birds, or humans,
used either alone or combined with
foliage. The figures need not have
any meaning, although they may be
symbolic or part of a narrative
sequence. Historiated capitals were most
commonly used in the
Romanesque from the late eleventh to mid-twelfth
centuries.
Ionic capital: A capital used originally by the Greeks in a system
of
supports called the Ionic order. An Ionic capital has a volute, or a spiral scroll-like
carving, on each side as its major decoration. Ionic capitals are
relatively rare in medieval buildings.
