A crocket (Dutch: hogel, German: Krabbe) is a carved Gothic ornament in the shape of an outward-curling leaf or bud. Crockets sit at regular intervals along the sloping edges of Gothic elements, giving them a lively, serrated outline.
Where are crockets found?
- Finials and pinnacles — the slender, pointed turrets on buttresses
- Gablets (wimpergs) — the triangular ornamental gables above windows and portals
- Spires — running up the ribs towards the top
- Finial flowers — the crocket is related to the finial flower that often crowns the top
Shape and meaning
The crocket is usually derived from plant forms: a curling leaf, a sprouting bud or a bent foliage. In early Gothic the shapes are plain; in late Gothic they become richer and more irregular. The crocket is a purely decorative motif that emphasises the soaring, upward character of Gothic architecture.
Application
- Gothic churches and cathedrals — as decoration of buttresses, gables and towers
- Gothic Revival — drawing on the medieval vocabulary of forms
- Restoration — weathered crockets are re-carved by stonemasons
Related terms
- Gothic
- Finial
- Pinnacle
- Finial flower
- Gothic Revival
- Ornament
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