S77 



SARACEXIC ARCHITECTURE. 



SARACEKIC ARCHITECTURE. 



278 



arch itself ; and in the other, the extrados, or outer circumference, 

 being so cut, or more properly speaking, the edge of the face of the 

 wall within which the arch recedes : of which kind is the gate in what 

 is called the Caaa del Carbon at Granada. 



The next example is of what may be called the cusped or scalloped 

 arch, strictly so termed, the outline being produced by intersecting 

 semicircles, similar to the trefoil-headed compartments in our Gothic 

 windows; but beyond that general resemblance, which certainly goes 

 some way to confirm the opinion that the Gothic style borrowed some- 

 thing from the Saracenic, the character is altogether different, not only 

 because it is here the whole arch which is so shaped, instead of merely 

 a subdivision w ithin a larger opening, but also both on account of the 

 external moulding following the same form, and of quite a different 

 mode of decoration. In Gothic architecture the spandrels, or trian- 

 gular spaces between the foils, are panelled with splayed surfaces 

 uniting in the centre. Arches of the kind here shown occur in the 

 sanctuary of the great mosque at Cordova (8th century), where they 

 rest upon columns which both in then" capitals and shafts bear con- 

 siderable similarity to Corinthian ones, except that they are shorter 

 and without bases, and are therefore very different from the slender 

 pillars peculiar to Arabian architecture. 



Fi'j. 4 exhibits an example of such pillars, and also another variety 



Fig. 4. 



of Saracenic arches (from the Court of the Lions in the Alhambra, 13th 

 century) very unlike any of the preceding specimens, it being circular- 

 headed, and tilted, that it, it is considerably more than a semicircle, 

 it height in fact almost equal to its breadth, but, instead of contract- 

 ing downwards, like the horse-shoe form, it is continued down straight 

 to the impost, whereby the arch or semicircle has the appearance of 

 being raised or ttilttd, and made loftier than the arch itself would else 

 be. It also exhibits another peculiarity which the Arabs seem greatly 

 to have affected, namely, mrhtUiny, or resting arches upon brackets 

 which serve as their imposts ; owing to which such arches have the 

 appearance of being suspended over the opening below, which becomes 

 wider and the support or pillar slenderer in proportion to the projec- 

 tion given to the corbels. 



The above will suffice to show the principal varieties, in which we 

 have chiefly attended to the form of the arches themselves, without 

 attempting to show detail and decoration, to which it would be impos- 

 sible to do any sort of justice upon so contracted a scale, although it 

 may serve for mere explanation. As supplementary however to what 

 has been said, it should be observed as one characteristic of the style, 

 that whatever their shape, or however applied, arches are generally 

 placed within a square-headed panel or compartment, variously orna- 

 mented, and frequently surrounded with a margin or border similar to 

 the square label in Gothic architecture. Sometimes there are two 

 margins or labels, and the space between them is filled up either with 

 inscriptions or other decoration. This mode however was confined to 

 large arches, not supported upon columns, but forming an opening 

 through a wall, for a gate or door ; and it was for such purposes that 

 the horse-shoe arch was chiefly used, particularly for entrances to 

 mosques. These were further distinguished by the breadth and rich- 

 ness of the archivolt or border surrounding the arch ; and which was 

 sometimes equal to the radius or semidiameter of the curve. In some 

 instance* the whole archivolt was uniformly decorated ; in others only 



at intervals, or on the alternate vonssoirs or arch-stones, some idea of 

 which may be obtained from B, Jiy. 1. 



Pillars are commonly of exceedingly slender proportions, almost to 

 apparent insecurity ; but owing to the style of the embellishment 

 this lightness of particular forms tends to heighten the general 

 luxuriance. Some have imagined that this element of slenclerness in 

 regard to pillars indicates a tent origin of the style ; and that while 

 the pillars themselves were fashioned in imitation of the poles which 

 supported the awning, the idea of the latter was in a measure kept 

 up by the general decoration of various devices in mosaic work, and 

 painted stucco, or glazed tiles, which gave to the whole the semblance 

 of being covered with richly-patterned carpeting or embroidered 

 tapestry ; not indeed in exact imitation or so as to aim at illusion, but 

 with just that degree of adherence to a prototype which is observable 

 in all artist-like architectural decoration. This tent-like character it 

 has been suggested was further kept up by concave ceilings and 

 cupolas, emblazoned with painting and gilding. The whole surface, 

 in fact, was frequently broidered over with decoration, which consisted 

 almost entirely of ornamental patterns composed either of foliage or 

 geometrical figures, though occasionally with an intermixture of both. 

 The decorations of the former class have given rise to the modern 

 term Arabesque*, as indicating scroll-work and foliage ornament filling 

 up a frieze or compartment, although it is not very correctly applied, 

 being usually intended to express a combination of animal and veget- 

 able forms, human figures, and those of birds and quadrupeds termi- 

 nating in foliage and flowers ; whereas no such mixture occurs in 

 Arabian architecture, all imitation of the human or even animal shape 

 being interdicted by the Mohammedan law. Their geometrical pat- 

 terns exhibit singular beauty and complexity, inexhaustible variety of 

 combinations, and a wonderful degree of harmonious intricacy, arising 

 out of very simple elements; to which must be added the variety 

 produced by colour also, whereby the same arrangements of lines and 

 figures could be greatly diversified. Hence though apparently quite 

 unmeaning, and intended only to gratjfy the eye, such embellishment 

 must have powerfully recommended itself to a people both imaginative 

 and contemplative, and whose fancy would find occupation in patiently 

 tracing and unravelling the manifold intricacies and involvements, the 

 mazes of what at first sight looks like a mere labyrinth, until its 

 scheme unfolds itself ; but merely momentarily as it were, being again 

 lost when attention is diverted from it to particular parts. It is on 

 this account that Hessemer, Jones, and others who have paid special 

 attention to the subject, assign so very high a value to Arabian decora- 

 tion, as being strictly ornamental and strikingly characteristic. 



One very prevalent and very peculiar element of Arabian decoration 

 j the use of inscriptions evidently with reference to their ornamental 

 effect. So far there is a very striking analogy between the practice of 

 the Moslems and that of the ancient Egyptians ; if the latter covered 

 the walls of their edifices with hieroglyphics, the others inscribed theirs 

 no less profusely with sentences ; and the characters of their ordinary 

 writing, elegant and fanciful in themselves, were as studiously ornate 

 and calligraphic as possible ; and so well do they harmonise with the 

 rest, as to seem to belong to the embellishment, and to have sufficient 

 value as such independent of then- meaning. Neither was the effect of 

 colouring and gilding wanting to set off the inscriptions in the most 

 brilliant manner. The colours chiefly used were the primaries, red, 

 yellow, and blue ; the secondaries, except in the decline of the style, 

 being only used in the lower and subordinate parts of buildings. The 

 use of these colours appears to have been most profuse ; gilding was 

 also freely employed. In short, even by those who consider much of 

 it to have been in false taste, architectural decoration must be allowed 

 to have been carried by the Arabians to a very high pitch ; and 

 although it may be too florid, too prodigal, too inflated, and overlaid 

 with ornament, it well deserves to be studied, as many ideas may be 

 derived from it, for novel combinations both of forms and colours. 

 And for such study ample materials are supplied by Mr. Owen Jones's 

 splendid work on the ' Alhambra,' and Hessemer's ' Arabische Bauer- 

 zierungen ; ' in both of which publications the plates exhibit the 

 original colours. The general reader will hardly need to be reminded 

 that Mr. Jones's admirably executed Alhambra Court at the Crystal 

 Palace affords a means of examining copies the actual size, made from 

 casts taken by Mr. Jones at the Alhambra, of the finest and most 

 elaborate examples of Moorish ornamental work at its most advanced 

 stage ; but we may point out that the little ' Handbook of the Alhambra 

 Court,' written by Mr. 0. Jones, contains much valuable information 

 on the principles of Saracenic ornamentation, and indeed on the second 

 period of Saracenic architecture generally. * 



Lattice or open trellis-work was another fertile source of embellish- 

 ment, and was very much akin to the perforated tracery frequently 

 met with in Gothic buildings. In this respect the two styles display 

 great similarity of taste, distinguishing themselves herein from almost 

 every other, notwithstanding that each has a peculiar character cf its 

 own. But in Saracenic architecture the interstices are smaller, and 

 the design fills the whole of one aperture ; whereas in the Gothic style 

 the ornamental tracery is confined to the heads of windows. Besides 

 which, the character of Saracenic tracery is altogether different, it 

 being composed of straight lines, frequently so disposed as to form 

 stars in some parts of the design. As far as an idea of the peculiarities 

 of the style in this respect can be formed from a single specimen, the 



