Foliate ornament is decoration that imitates leaves and foliage, applied to a facade, a ceiling, a capital, a cornice or a piece of furniture. The Dutch term is lofwerk, from loof — foliage.
It is one of the oldest and most persistent motifs in architecture. From the Greek temple to the Art Nouveau facade, the leaf keeps reappearing, each time in the formal language of its own period.
The principal forms
- Acanthus leaf. The serrated, curling leaf of the acanthus plant. The motif of the Corinthian and Composite capital, and thereafter of virtually every classical bracket, cornice and furniture leg. Recognisable by the deeply cut lobes with pointed indentations.
- Scroll or rinceau. A continuous, undulating stem from which leaves and sometimes flowers spring. Ideal for a frieze or an elongated cornice, because the motif can run on indefinitely.
- Garland and festoon. A bound swag of leaves, flowers and fruit hanging from two points and dipping in the middle. Characteristic of the Renaissance and classicism, often above a window or between two brackets.
- Waterleaf and stiff-leaf. In Romanesque and Early Gothic work: a simpler, broad and flat leaf around the capital bell, without the sharp serrations of the acanthus.
- Naturalistic foliage. In the High Gothic, native plants — oak, ivy, holly, vine — were carved recognisably and true to nature, instead of the stylised classical leaf.
- Whiplash and organic scroll. In Art Nouveau the leaf motif returns as a flowing, asymmetrical line.
Where you find it
Foliate ornament sits almost always where a transition or an end point occurs: on a capital between column and arch, on a bracket under a cornice, in the frieze below a cornice, around a ceiling rose and at the corners of a panel. The motif fills the place where the structure changes direction.
Material and technique
- Natural stone — carved by the mason, each piece unique.
- Timber — carved, often in a separate layer glued onto the ground, so the carving need not come out of the solid.
- Plasterwork and gypsum — cast in a mould, which let a motif be repeated affordably. This put rich ornament within reach of a far wider public in the nineteenth century.
- Terracotta and cast iron — industrially produced ornament, worked into facades on a large scale from the nineteenth century.
Repair
Damaged foliate ornament can almost always be repaired and rarely needs replacing:
- Photograph and measure first. A missing piece is reconstructed from its mirror image or from an identical example elsewhere on the facade. Find that reference piece before anything is removed.
- For plaster ornament, a silicone mould can be taken from a sound example, and the missing piece cast in plaster and let in.
- For stone, an indent is bonded in or the loss is made good with a stone repair mortar — never with ordinary cement mortar, which is harder than the stone and will then damage it.
- Remove excess paint layers carefully. Old ornament sometimes carries ten or more coats that have completely silted up the profile. The motif is usually still crisp underneath.
- On a listed building, repairing ornament needs consent. Discuss it with the local authority in advance.
Related terms
- Ornament
- Acanthus
- Capital
- Garland
- Cornice
- Plasterwork
- Bracket
- Art Nouveau
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