All over the world there are thousands of interesting and attractive corbels. However, despite the attractiveness of these corbels, many people are unsure of what “bracket” it is? Basically, a corbel is a piece of stone, or possibly wood, that protrudes from a wall to support its proper weight. But, corbels do much more than this decidedly unappealing work, they attract and give one a brief but detailed look at a building’s past. The name derives from a French word that means raven, due to the beak shape of the corbel.
Corbels are most famous for appearing as gargoyles on the side of churches and cathedrals, namely Notre Dame in Paris. Norman (Romanesque) corbels are often simple in appearance, although they may be elaborately carved with stylized heads of imaginary humans, animals, or “beasts,” and sometimes other motifs. Corbels with balconies in Italy and France were sometimes large and richly carved, and on them are some of the best examples of the Italian “Cinquecento” style (16th century). Throughout England, in half-timbered work, wooden corbels abound, bearing wooden windowsills or bay windows, which are also often carved.
A corbel arch is an arch-like construction method that uses the architectural technique of corbels to span a space or void in a structure, such as a doorway in a wall or a span of a bridge. A corbel vault uses this technique to support the roof superstructure of a building.
The word “corbel” comes from Old French and is derived from the Latin corbellus, a diminutive of corvus (a raven) that refers to the appearance of a beak. Similarly, the French refer to a corbel as corbeau (a crow) or cul-de-Lampe, the Italians as mensola, the Germans as kragstein.
The corbels technique, where rows of corbels support a projecting wall or parapet, has been used since the Neolithic Age. It is common in medieval architecture and in the Scottish baronial style.
Many people use corbels in the 21st century as a way to decorate their home. Corbels provide a space and cost-effective way to make one’s home more presentable and add culture and style to a home. By replacing the doors with “wavy arches”, the house can be made more spacious and presentable.
Notable examples of corbels around the world include:
* Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris
* Maes Howe, a particularly fine Neolithic chamber cairn in Scotland.
* The Gallarus Oratory, an early Christian church in Ireland, is built with a cantilevered vault.
The corbels, although they are far from public attention, guarantee the stability and good appearance of thousands of buildings around the world. They can be found in medieval castles or in modern houses. The corbels are all around us.