Londinium, Architecture and the CraftsLethaby, W. R. (William Richard)
History
Londinium, Architecture and the Crafts
Lethaby, W. R. (William Richard)
England -- Antiquities, Roman; London (England) -- Antiquities, Roman; Romans -- England -- London
_Ornament._—Carved decorations were for the most part rude and rapidly
cut, but they show some fresh thought and are very different from the
defunct details which now pass for “classic.” At the Guildhall is part
of a frieze of small scale (Fig. 62) which has running animals
alternating with trees. This suggestion of the forest was a popular
motive of the time, and is found frequently on our native-made Castor
pottery. Haverfield suggested that it might be a Celtic motive, but it
is found on Samian pottery, and Espèrandieu illustrates a similar frieze
of higher quality found at Mainz. All the Roman architectural carvings
found in Britain, it may again be said, very closely resemble works
found in Gaul, and especially at Trèves.
[Illustration:
FIG. 83.
]
[Illustration:
FIG. 84.
]
The wide pilaster at the Guildhall (Fig. 70), also mentioned before, has
a boldly designed relief of foliage arranged in a series of oval forms,
one over the other. The interior of each unit is filled by the leafage
being bent downwards. The same scheme occurs on a mosaic floor found in
Dorsetshire, now in the British Museum (Fig. 82). Fine Corinthian
capitals have been found at Cirencester and Bath; even in these we find
the spirit of experiment constantly at work. An example sketched at
Angers in France is given in Fig. 83. The most elegant piece of
architectural decoration executed in Britain, which is known to me, is a
frieze found at Bath, which is somewhat singular in bold freshness of
treatment (Fig. 84). Again, this can be explained by comparison with a
mosaic pattern. At first sight it seems an ordinary piece of scroll
work, but examination reveals that the alternate elements were complete
circles. This frieze is broken at a point which might seem to leave room
for a little doubt as to this, and my figure is slightly restored; but
the border of a mosaic floor found at Frampton furnishes us with a
complete example of the same treatment, and this excludes any doubt
(Fig. 85). Fig. 86 represents a more ordinary scroll frieze from
Chester, but even this is brightened by the little birds set in the
corner spaces. Fig. 87 is the soffit of a corona member from Bath, also
alive and inventive.
[Illustration:
FIG. 85.
]
[Illustration:
FIG. 86.
]
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