Architectural Terracottas Research Articles

Funde aus Milet XXVIII. Lydische Architekturterrakotten vom Zeytintepe

It is possible to reconstruct a depiction of a racing chariot from four fragments recovered at the sanctuary of Aphrodite on Zeytintepe near Miletus between 1991 and 2007. They evidently originate from the same relief panel. Amongst architectural terracottas, clay artefacts such as these belong to the category of revetment plaques; specimens with this subject have become known above all from Larisa on the river Hermos. They are dated to the 3 rd quarter of the 6 th cent. BC and are associated with the Lydians – although their place of manufacture has not been established beyond doubt. For this reason it would be preferable to refer to them as revetment plaques of the ›Lydian type‹. Since it is a one-off find and there is no evidence of an architectural context at the find site, the article proposes regarding the object as a votive offering to Aphrodite singular in its utilization, even though it cannot be known who the donor was.

Static consolidation of a renaissance palace by resins, pins and connecting rods

The paper reports the results of a research on the static consolidation of an important XV century tower by Bramante belonging to an important monumental complex located in the Po Valley which was showing worrying structural conditions . The tower, 19 m high, very thin, lacking connections in the highest part, showed overturnings of the four façades not in plumb by over 150mm; Due to the presence of architectural terracotta elements, it was not possible to intervene on the external facades. This is why the authors decided to create a sort of hoop from inside using a U (120 mm) steel profile fastened to the walls by means of steel pins anchored with epoxy resins. The pins (􀀀12 mm, 350 mm length) have been positioned at a distance of 50 cm inclined by 30° alternatively downwards and upwards in order to get at minimum of 2+2 courses of bricks. Then, by a series of steel tie rods it was possible to tie the opposite walls. Finally, triangular frames have been positioned on the 4 corners in order to avoid teething collapse in case of great stress. Before starting with the strengthening work, as described above, experimental tests, supported by the Bossong company, were conducted to verify tensile stress resistance of each pin. The tests studied different solutions in terms of diameter and anchoring material. The tensile tests , carried out by using a specific hydraulic puller equipped with a dynamometer and a displacement transducer, showed very high allowable loads , between 20 and 60 kN/pin depending on the pin and fastening type. According to data obtained, the most suitable solution was chosen; it was also used in other parts of the castle. The behavior of the reinforced structure , which withstood the February 2012 earthquake without any problem demonstrated the validity of the proposed technique which is an interesting, non invasive solution for historical buildings.

Static consolidation of a renaissance palace by resins, pins and connecting rods

The paper reports the results of a research on the static consolidation of an important XV century tower by Bramante belonging to an important monumental complex located in the Po Valley which was showing worrying structural conditions . The tower, 19 m high, very thin, lacking connections in the highest part, showed overturnings of the four façades not in plumb by over 150mm; Due to the presence of architectural terracotta elements, it was not possible to intervene on the external facades. This is why the authors decided to create a sort of hoop from inside using a U (120 mm) steel profile fastened to the walls by means of steel pins anchored with epoxy resins. The pins (􀀀12 mm, 350 mm length) have been positioned at a distance of 50 cm inclined by 30° alternatively downwards and upwards in order to get at minimum of 2+2 courses of bricks. Then, by a series of steel tie rods it was possible to tie the opposite walls. Finally, triangular frames have been positioned on the 4 corners in order to avoid teething collapse in case of great stress. Before starting with the strengthening work, as described above, experimental tests, supported by the Bossong company, were conducted to verify tensile stress resistance of each pin. The tests studied different solutions in terms of diameter and anchoring material. The tensile tests , carried out by using a specific hydraulic puller equipped with a dynamometer and a displacement transducer, showed very high allowable loads , between 20 and 60 kN/pin depending on the pin and fastening type. According to data obtained, the most suitable solution was chosen; it was also used in other parts of the castle. The behavior of the reinforced structure , which withstood the February 2012 earthquake without any problem demonstrated the validity of the proposed technique which is an interesting, non invasive solution for historical buildings.

Nancy A. Winter: Symbols of wealth and power. Architectural terracotta decoration in Etruria and central Italy, 640–510 B.C.

Nancy A. Winter: Symbols of wealth and power. Architectural terracotta decoration in Etruria and central Italy, 640–510 B.C. Ann Arbor: Michigan UP 2009. LII, 650 S. 18 Pläne. 4 Taf. 4°. (Memoirs of the American Academy in Rome. Suppl. 9.)

Symbols of wealth and power, by N.A. Winter; Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek. Catalogue Etruria 1, by J. Christiansen, N.A. Winter & P.S. Lulof; Architectural terracottas in the Allard Pierson Museum Amsterdam, by P.S. Lulof (book reviews)

Symbols of wealth and power, by N.A. Winter; Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek. Catalogue Etruria 1, by J. Christiansen, N.A. Winter & P.S. Lulof; Architectural terracottas in the Allard Pierson Museum Amsterdam, by P.S. Lulof (book reviews)

Terracotta Decoration - (N.A.) Winter Symbols of Wealth and Power. Architectural Terracotta Decoration in Etruria and Central Italy, 640–510 B.C. (Memoirs of the American Academy in Rome, Supplement 9.) Pp. lii + 650, figs, ills, maps, colour pls. Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Press, for The American Academy in Rome, 2009. Cased, US$95. ISBN: 978-0-472-11665-2.

Terracotta Decoration - (N.A.) Winter Symbols of Wealth and Power. Architectural Terracotta Decoration in Etruria and Central Italy, 640–510 B.C. (Memoirs of the American Academy in Rome, Supplement 9.) Pp. lii + 650, figs, ills, maps, colour pls. Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Press, for The American Academy in Rome, 2009. Cased, US$95. ISBN: 978-0-472-11665-2.

Book Review of Deliciae Fictiles IV: Architectural Terracottas in Ancient Italy. Images of Gods, Monsters and Heroes, edited by Patricia Lulof and Carlo Rescigno

Book Review of Deliciae Fictiles IV: Architectural Terracottas in Ancient Italy. Images of Gods, Monsters and Heroes, edited by Patricia Lulof and Carlo Rescigno

Assessment of Architectural Terracotta Friezes in Bologna

This study of Bolognese terracotta decoration aims to identify the chronology of decorative typologies and to determine the appropriate conservation methodology. Practical proposals can change depending on the different types of terracotta and the techniques used in their production. The first part of this paper describes cornices from the eleventh to the sixteenth century, paying particular attention to how individual elements are combined and arranged together. The second part examines the coatings and colours applied in the second half of the fifteenth century by comparing mineralogical and stratigraphic analyses conducted on the cornices of three buildings. The third part proposes solutions for cleaning, consolidation and conservation that aim to preserve the stratigraphy and surface finish. The paper concludes with proposals for rapid prototyping and reverse engineering of the restoration of ruined terracotta friezes.

A SANCTUARY OF THE GEOMETRIC PERIOD IN ANCIENT HELIKE, ACHAEA

The article presents an apsidal temple excavated by the 6th Ephorate of Prehistoric and Classical Antiquities at Nikoleika, in the chora of ancient Helike. The building was erected at the end of the eighth century, after levelling which probably destroyed a Protogeometric construction. A mudbrick altar erected in the first half of the eighth century lay buried beneath the temple floor: offerings and faunal remains from the altar area are presented, noting evidence for ritual dining. A terminus ante quem for the abandonment of the Geometric temple is provided by mid sixth-century architectural terracottas, presumably from its successor.

Research on Thermal Comfort of Crystal Sandstone Light Ceramics

The thermal properties of the crystal sandstone light ceramic products, nature sandstones, tiles and composite floorboards were analyzed and compared in detail by scanning electron microscope (SEM) and thermal simulation method. The results show that the different thermal properties are the main factors which lead to the different thermal comfort to these materials. It is analyzed in theory that the good thermal comforts of the crystal sandstone light ceramics are come from the low thermal conductivity and low density mainly. And the thermal simulation is a reference method on the thermal comfort research of architectural ceramics.

Characterization of Irreversible Black Soiling Layer Formation on Historic Unglazed Terracotta Substrates Using Analytical Scanning Electron Microscopy (ASEM) with Energy Dispersive X-Ray (EDX) Analysis

The increased use of architectural terracotta in the smoke-ridden cities of Victorian Britain was largely attributed to its ‘self-cleaning’ nature. However, it quickly became apparent that use of the material in urban areas often resulted in its affliction with certain soiling characteristics. Previous research has largely overlooked thorough investigation of the very mechanisms by which the soiling becomes so tenaciously bonded to the facade of terracotta in the first place. The manufacturing process and the properties of architectural terracotta have been reviewed along with current theories surrounding soiling and adhesion mechanisms. Both soiled and unsoiled samples were characterized using reflected light optical microscopy and analytical scanning electron microscopy (ASEM) with energy dispersive x-ray (EDX) analysis. The soiling layer was a uniformly thin amorphous layer that appeared to be brittle in nature and formed in-situ by external influences. It contained crystalline gypsum inclusions and submicron iron-rich particles.

Nancy A. Winter, Symbols of Wealth and Power: Architectural Terracotta Decoration in Etruria and Central Italy, 640-510 B. C., (Memoirs of the American Academy in Rome, Supplement, 9), Ann Arbor, T

Nancy A. Winter, Symbols of Wealth and Power: Architectural Terracotta Decoration in Etruria and Central Italy, 640-510 B. C., (Memoirs of the American Academy in Rome, Supplement, 9), Ann Arbor, T

Book Review of Symbols of Wealth and Power: Architectural Terracotta Decoration in Etruria and Central Italy, 640–510 B.C., by Nancy A. Winter

In her second comprehensive book on architectural terracottas, Winter turns her attention from the Greek world (Greek Architectural Terracottas: From the Prehistoric to the End of the Archaic Period [Oxford 1994]) to the Italic one. She continues to focus on early developments: the present work begins with the earliest roofs (ca. 650 B.C.E.) and concludes with the shift from figural to floral motifs and more standardized production ca. 510 B.C.E. As in the previous book, this one takes both a chronological and a regional approach.

Architectural ceramic pattern design based on fractal template

It is a request for application of the architectural ceramic's 2-linear tiling and 4-linear tiling to satisfy the product's consecutive tiling process.This paper discussed the steps to design an architectural ceramic pattern,and analyzed the application of the architectural ceramic patterns.This paper studied the principle of the architectural ceramic patterns' generation which was based on integration of the pattern template and the fractal in detail,proposed and achieved its algorithm at last.The obtained patterns have obvious characteristics of 2-linear tiling and 4-linear tiling and satisfy the application requirement of the architectural ceramics.

Ceramics from Sinope in Olbia Pontica

AbstractConnections between Olbia Pontica and Sinope were firmly established by the 5th century BC. The quantity of Sinopean goods in Olbia was especially numerous in the last quarter of the 4th to the first third of the 3rd century BC. Tiles, louteria, amphorae containing wine and oil, and architectural terracottas were all imported from Sinope. These connections continued until the middle of the 1st century BC, when Olbia was destroyed by the Getae. They were renewed again in the 1st century AD and continued until the last quarter of the 4th century AD, when the settlement of Olbia came to an end.

Sinope as a Trading and Cultural Agent in Thrace during the Classical and Early Hellenistic Periods

AbstractUsing a range of materials, this article aims to reveal Sinope ‐ the most developed Greek apoikia on the southern Black Sea coast from the Archaic to the early Hellenistic period ‐ as a contributor to the economic and cultural development of Thrace, especially the northeastern part. Mapping the find-spots of axe types with Thracian replicas allows us to outline the route used from the Early Bronze Age onwards from the Black Sea coast in the Sinope-Amisos area through central Anatolia toward Cilicia, Phoenicia and Palestine and confirm the opinion that the direct route across the Black Sea from Sinope to the northwest coast of the Pontus was familiar to local sea-farers before the period of Greek colonization. Sinope developed as a prosperous port of the caravan route between the Euphrates and the Black Sea from the 6th to the 4th century BC, when the polis adopted a leading role as a producer and exporter of olive oil and architectural terracottas to the markets of the northern and northwestern Pontic areas. In addition, Sinope realized the rich mineral resources of its area and was probably also an artistic centre. The economic penetration of Sinope deep into the hinterland of northern Thrace gives grounds to reassess the origins of some of the toreutic items discovered in recent decades, such as the bull-rhyton of the Borovo Treasure. Some iconographic and stylistic novelties in otherwise purely Thracian vases and other types of artefacts could be seen in the context of relations with eastern Anatolia and adjacent areas of the Near East.

Terres cuites architecturales de Sinope de l’époque archaïque à l’époque hellénistique

AbstractArchitectural Terracottas of the Archaic to the Hellenistic Period from SinopeDecorated architectural terracottas held in the Sinope Museum are re-examined here from several angles: techniques of manufacture, combinations of different series on one and the same building, importing of models, export of these exclusively local products to cities of the North Pontic region, style and chronology. Reconsidered so as to take into account all significant features, this form of production ‐ recorded from as early as the 6th century BC ‐ provides some continuation of the ‘Milesian’ tradition, which was widespread in the North of the Aegean and in the poleis of the Black Sea region. Yet, from the second quarter of the 4th century BC onwards, this production also manifests real originality of its own. Sinope would, however, probably not have developed its own style, if it had not received specific orders from Panticapaeum and the main cities of the Bosporan Kingdom. After gradually being deprived of this stimulus for production towards 300 BC, the workshop in Sinope quickly lost its impressive reputation, even though the volume of its tile production remained considerable. From all points of view, it would appear to have been subject to the political and economic vicissitudes experienced by its clients.

Luminescence dating of architectural ceramics from an early medieval abbey: The St Philbert Intercomparison (Loire Atlantique, France)

An experimental intercomparison was performed with brick samples from an early medieval building in the west of France, the St-Philbert-de-Grandlieu abbey. A potentially complex set of microdosimetric problems emerged from characterisation measurements, providing a robust test of the routine procedures used by each laboratory. The dating results obtained using quartz coarse grains and fine grain samples span over a large period of time, exhibiting overdispersion, and where systematic deviations appear between quartz and fine grain chronologies. Factors causing such scatter are analysed in detail, including internal radioactivity of quartz grains, millimetre-scale heterogeneity in the fabric, and the observation and modelling of fading behaviour of fine grain minerals.

A conference on architectural terracottas in Italy - INGRID EDLUND-BERRY, GIOVANNA GRECO and JOHN KENFIELD (edd.), DELICIAE FICTILES III. ARCHITECTURAL TERRACOTTAS IN ANCIENT ITALY: NEW DISCOVERIES AND INTERPRETATIONS (Proceedings of the international conference held at the American Academy in Rome November 7-8, 2002; published in cooperation with the American Academy in Rome by Oxbow Books, Oxford 2006). Pp xix +

A conference on architectural terracottas in Italy - INGRID EDLUND-BERRY, GIOVANNA GRECO and JOHN KENFIELD (edd.), DELICIAE FICTILES III. ARCHITECTURAL TERRACOTTAS IN ANCIENT ITALY: NEW DISCOVERIES AND INTERPRETATIONS (Proceedings of the international conference held at the American Academy in Rome November 7-8, 2002; published in cooperation with the American Academy in Rome by Oxbow Books, Oxford 2006). Pp xix + 508, 746 ills, of which 86 are in colour. ISBN 1-84217-208-5; 978-1-84217-208-7. $70. - Volume 22

PIXE ANALYSIS OF MOROCCAN ARCHITECTURAL GLAZED CERAMICS OF 14TH-18TH CENTURIES

The PIXE analysis of glazes and ceramic bodies of a set of architectural glazed ceramics (mostly the zellige mosaics), sampled from seven Moroccan monuments from the 14th to the 18th century AD, has been performed. We have identified high lead glazes, opacified with tin-oxide, laid over a calciferous body to produce hard tiles easy to chisel as required by the zellige technique. The analysis has revealed significant differences between the monuments examined: in particular in the formulation of the base glass and in the use of stains to produce coloured glazes. We observed the peculiarity of materials used in Marrakech and we could distinguish, both in terms of glazes and ceramic bodies, the two almost contemporary Madersas dedicated to the sultan Bou Inan, one in Meknes the other in Fez. The PIXE measurements integrate a broad range of spectrometric investigations performed in the past few years.