Corbel
ClassificationsArchitectural Elements-corbels
Date19th Century
Made AtChina, Asia
MediumWood and pigment
Dimensions25 × 18 × 5 1/2 in. (63.5 × 45.7 × 14 cm)
Credit LineGift of Kevin Branch
Object number2001.58.16B
DescriptionThis object is a 19th century Chinese architectural corbel which once adorned a temple or other similar structure. Typically, corbels are placed at the upper end of exterior walls or other vertical components to assist in supporting the roof structure above. However, by the 19th century Chinese architecture had developed to a point where corbels served a more decorative purpose. Without the need to support weight, they could therefore be made with more elaborate and delicate carved designs.Temple architectural features depicted a wide array of subjects, the most common of which were of scenes from Chinese history, folklore, and mythology. Landscapes, flowers, geometric shapes, and animals were also commonly depicted. Time and the elements have eroded much of the surface of this corbels to the point where its once vibrant pigments have almost disappeared.
On View
On view
1870-1949
late 19th Century
mid 20th Century
mid 20th Century
