What are the statues on buildings called?


What are the statues on buildings called? Gargoyles are carvings of grotesque figures, faces or creatures perching along the roofs and battlements of buildings and projecting from roof gutters. The gargoyle is one of the most recognisable characteristics of Gothic architecture. The etymology of the word derives from the French 'gargouille' meaning throat.


What are the statues on old buildings called?

We are referring to grotesques: the scary figures carved into stone corbels, keystones, and friezes on building facades. In 12th century Europe, grotesques, as well as open-mouthed gargoyles—which directed rainwater away from buildings—became commonplace, especially on the outside of cathedrals.


What are statues on pillars called?

Article Talk. A caryatid (/?k??ri'æt?d/ or /?kæri'æt?d/ KAIR-ee-AT-id or KARR-ee-AT-id; Ancient Greek: ?a???t??, pl. ?a???t?de?) is a sculpted female figure serving as an architectural support taking the place of a column or a pillar supporting an entablature on her head.


What are the statues on top of buildings called?

Gargoyles are carvings of grotesque figures, faces or creatures perching along the roofs and battlements of buildings and projecting from roof gutters. The gargoyle is one of the most recognisable characteristics of Gothic architecture. The etymology of the word derives from the French 'gargouille' meaning throat.


What are statues on the side of buildings called?

Grotesque are often called gargoyles, although the term gargoyle refers to figures carved specifically to drain water away from the sides of buildings. In the Middle Ages, the term babewyn was used to refer to both gargoyles and chimerae.