Accolade (architecture)
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In architecture, an accolade is an embellished arch found most typically in late Gothic architecture. The term comes from French (l'accolade), referencing a "braced" arch.[1] It is also known as an ogee arch (English), un arco conopial (Spanish), resaunt (Middle English), arco carenato or inflesso (Italian), and kielbogen (German).[1][2]
An accolade is a pointed arch composed of two ogee curves, also known as sigmoid lines, which mirror one another.[3][1] It can be formed by a pair of reverse ogee curves over a three-centred arch ending in a vertical finial.[4][5] The form can also be described as the combination of a convex arch and a concave arch.[6]
History
The accolade was introduced and was most commonly used during the Decorated period of Gothic architecture.[3] It was an element of Church architecture in England from the eleventh to sixteenth century.[8] The peak of the accolade's popularity was during the thirteenth century.[9] During the fourteenth century, there was an evolution in its appearance.[2]
The first accolades in English Gothic architecture appear on the crosses constructed by Edward I in memory of Eleanor of Castile.[10] They are also used in Gothic goldsmithing as in the shrine of St. Gertrude of Nivelles, which was originally built in the 13th century.[1] The entrance to Saint-Seine-l'Abbaye is an accolade.[11] The St. John's Church, and one of its major influences, Strawberry Hill House, incorporates accolades into its design.[12]
Accolades appear as stylistic framing elements in artwork as early as the fifteenth century.[13] It also appears in Dutch art, like the woodcut illustration in The Book of the Golden Throne.[13]