abacus

(noun)

The uppermost portion of the capital of a column, immediately under the architrave.

Related Terms

  • colonnade
  • volute
  • dipteral
  • stoa
  • acanthus
  • polychromy
  • iconographic
  • orthogonal

(noun)

A flat slab forming the uppermost member or division of the capital of a column.

Related Terms

  • colonnade
  • volute
  • dipteral
  • stoa
  • acanthus
  • polychromy
  • iconographic
  • orthogonal

Examples of abacus in the following topics:

  • Romanesque Sculpture: Majestat Batlló

    • The tunic also has an analogy with an Islamic motif abacus of the cloister of the abbey of Saint-Pierre de Moissac, which seems to prove the spread during the Romanesque period.
  • Architecture in the Hellenistic Period

    • The capital consists of a double layer of acanthus leaves and stylized plant tendrils that curl up towards the abacus in the shape of a scroll or volute.
  • Innovation and Limitation

    • These indigenous civilizations are credited with many inventions in: building pyramid-temples [], mathematics, astronomy, medicine, writing, highly accurate calendars, fine arts, intensive agriculture, engineering, an abacus calculator, and complex theology.
  • Temple Architecture in the Greek Archaic Period

    • The capitals of Doric columns had a simple, unadorned square abacus and a flared echinus that was often short and squashed.
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