The term “corbel” was first used in its architectural application in the 15th century. Nevertheless, the actual supports date back further than that. Some sources claim the beginning of corbels to be somewhere in the Neolithic, or New Stone Age, era. They were also in use in B.C. era China.
The French in particular made exacting demands on what could and couldn’t be called a “corbel”. They said that it had to be perpendicular to both the wall and the surface that it was supporting. They went further than this even, claiming that a support was not allowed to be classed with corbels if its horizontal surface was not longer than its vertical edge running up the wall. The term itself derives from the Old French language via the Latin word corbellus, which means “appearing like the beak of a crow”. Continue reading “History of Corbels – Where the Gargoyles Lurked”
Though it is an old and somewhat unknown word, corbels are still very much relevant today. In this article we’ll answer the questions of what they are, as well as what they are used for today, and what they have been used for through history. Their use dates far, far back in the history of architecture, but currently they are much more popular for indoor use than they ever were back in the old times.
Corbels are bracket-like supports which come out of one wall and hold up something else which is jutting out horizontally. They are like a fancy, carved triangle of support between the vertical and horizontal. Corbels are common to see on old buildings (even ancient) where they are form a stone or wood support between the exterior of a wall and the roof itself. You will find them everywhere, but especially throughout Europe (France, Germany, etc.) and even in old Chinese architecture. They always add a very classic look to no matter how they are used. Continue reading “What Are Corbels?”
