Volute
Spiral scroll-like ornament that forms the basis of the Ionic order
A volute is a spiral, scroll-like ornament that forms the basis of the Ionic order, found in the capital of the Ionic column. It was later incorporated into Corinthian order and Composite column capitals. Four are normally to be found on an Ionic capital, eight on Composite capitals and smaller versions (sometimes called helix) on the Corinthian capital.
The word derives from the Latin voluta ("scroll"). It has been suggested that the ornament was inspired by the curve of a ram's horns, or perhaps was derived from the natural spiral found in the ovule of a common species of clover native to Greece. Alternatively, it may simply be of geometrical origin.
The ornament can be seen in Renaissance and Baroque architecture and is a common decoration in furniture design, silverware and ceramics. A method of drawing the complex geometry was devised by the ancient Roman architect Vitruvius through the study of classical buildings and structures.
01Gallery
Ornamentation
This gallery shows volutes in different media, styles, materials and period. Some styles and cultures made them a key motif of their art, like in the case of Ancient Greek or Rococo art, while in other cases, they were used rarely, like in the case of Ancient Egypt. Their use is also influenced by materials and techniques. This is one of the reasons why they are so widespread in wrought iron. They were also fused over time with different other motifs that were fashionable at the time, like acanthuses, which led to the rinceau (sinuous and branching volutes elaborated with leaves and other natural forms), very popular in the Classical world and in movements that take inspiration from it. Many of the Ancient examples shown are now white, grey or beige, but initially they were colorful, the colour disappearing in time because of exposure to elements. All of these Ancient capitals were painted in highly saturated colours, as laboratory tests and Ancient texts show.
The volute is also a basic universal shape, which is why it cannot be associated with only one culture or period. They are just as popular in Oceanic art as they are in Rococo.
Use in stylization
Besides the use for decoration, volutes were also used for the rendering of detailed textures. Many cultures that produced stylized art used geometric patterns for the reproduction of highly detailed textures. The volutes were most often used for hair, an example of this being Ancient Mesopotamian art, where the strands of hair are shown through patterns of volutes.
Sources and credits
This article is adapted from the Wikipedia article “Volute”, written by its contributors and licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Fathomly has changed the layout, removed citation markers, navigation and maintenance notices, and adjusted punctuation. This adapted version is shared under the same license. For references, see the original article.
Images, from Wikimedia Commons:
- SixIonicOrders.jpg by en:Julien David Le Roy (1724-1803), published in Les ruines plus beaux des monuments de la Grèce (1758), Public domain
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