A mutule is a flat, rectangular slab that hangs from the underside of the cornice in the Doric order, above the triglyphs and metopes of the frieze. Its soffit is usually studded with guttae — small cone- or drop-shaped pegs — arranged in three rows.
The mutule is closely related to the regula: the small strip below the triglyph at the foot of the architrave, which also carries guttae.
Where the form comes from
Classical architecture is timber construction turned to stone. The Doric order repeats in stone the forms of an older timber roof:
- The triglyph recalls the end of a beam with grooves cut in it
- The mutule stands for the lower end of a sloping rafter projecting over the beams
- The guttae represent the pegs or nails that fixed those parts
That also explains the slight slope of the mutule: it follows the pitch of the rafter.
Application
The mutule appears on Greek and Roman temples and in all later architecture that uses the classical orders: Renaissance, Neoclassicism, Empire and the revival styles of the 19th century.
- Rhythm. In a correctly executed Doric cornice there is one mutule over each triglyph and each metope, so the rhythm of the cornice follows that of the frieze
- Material. In later domestic use the mutule is usually timber or plaster rather than stone
- Maintenance. It is a horizontal, projecting detail on which water stands. Timber mutules are a classic site for wood rot; inspect them from above at every repaint
- Repair. Where rot has taken hold, cut out the affected part and replace with new timber of the same species and profile. Guttae are turned or milled pegs and can be renewed individually
Related terms
- Guttae
- Cornice
- Architrave
- Doric order
- Triglyph
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