Cavetto molding and resulting shadow patternOvolo molding and resulting shadow patternCyma recta molding and resulting shadow pattern
Molding (spelledmoulding and alternatively calledcoving inBritish andAustralian English), is a strip of material with various profiles used to cover transitions between surfaces or for decoration. It is traditionally made from solidmilled wood orplaster, but may be of plastic or reformed wood. Inclassical architecture and sculpture, the molding is often carved in marble or otherstones. In historic architecture, and some expensive modern buildings, it may be formed in place withplaster.
A "plain" molding has right-angled upper and lower edges. A "sprung" molding has upper and lower edges thatbevel towards its rear, allowing mounting between two non-parallel planes (such as a wall and a ceiling), with an open space behind. Moldings may be decorated withpaterae as long, uninterrupted elements may be boring for eyes.
Decorative plaster moldings and coving in a late Victorian town house in South Wales.
Decorative moldings have been made ofwood,stone andcement. Recently[when?] moldings have been made ofextrudedpolyvinyl chloride (PVC) andexpanded polystyrene (EPS) as a core with a cement-based protective coating. Synthetic moldings are a cost-effective alternative that rival the aesthetic and function of traditional profiles.[citation needed]
Archivolt: Ornamental molding or band following the curve on the underside of an arch.
Astragal: Semi-circular molding attached to one of a pair of doors to cover the gap where they meet.
Baguette: Thin, half-round molding, smaller than an astragal, sometimes carved, and enriched withfoliages,pearls,ribbands,laurels, etc. When enriched with ornaments, it was also calledchapelet.[1]
Bandelet: Any little band or flat molding, which crowns a Doricarchitrave. It is also called atenia (from Greekταινία an article of clothing in the form of a ribbon).[1]
Baseboard, "base molding" or "skirting board": Used to conceal the junction of an interiorwall andfloor, to protect the wall from impacts and to add decorative features. A "speed base" makes use of a base "cap molding" set on top of a plain 1" thick board, however there are hundreds of baseboard profiles.
Baton: See Torus
Batten orboard and batten: Symmetrical molding that is placed across a joint where two parallel panels or boards meet
Bead molding: Narrow, half-round convex molding, when repeated formsreeding
Beading orbead: Molding in the form of a row of half spherical beads, larger thanpearling
Other forms: Bead and leaf, bead and reel, bead and spindle
Beak: Small fillet molding left on the edge of alarmier, which forms a canal, and makes a kind ofpendant.[1] See also: chin-beak
Bed-mold orbed molding: Narrow molding used at the junction of a wall andceiling, found under thecornice, of which it is a part.[2] Similar to crown molding, a bed mold is used to cover the joint between the ceiling and wall. Bed molds can be either sprung or plain, or flush to the wall as an extension of a cornice mold.[3]
Bolection: Raised molding projecting proud of a face frame at the intersection of the different levels between the frame and an inset panel on a door or wood panel. It will sometimes have arabbet on its underside the depth of the lower level so it can lay flat over both. It can leave an inset panel free to expand or contract with temperature and humidity.
Cable molding orropework: Convex molding carved in imitation of a twisted rope or cord, and used for decorative moldings of theRomanesque style in England, France and Spain and adapted for 18th-century silver and furniture design (Thomas Sheraton)[4][5]
Cabled fluting orcable: Convex circular molding sunk in the concave fluting of a classic column, and rising about one-third of the height of the shaft[1]
Casing: Finish trim around the sides of adoor orwindow opening covering the gap between finished wall and the jam or frame it is attached to.
Cartouche(in French)escutcheon: Framed panel in the form of a scroll with an inscribed centre, or surrounded by compound moldings decorated with floral motifs
Cavetto:(in Italian)cavare ("to hollow"): Concave, quarter-round molding sometimes employed in the place of the cymatium of a cornice, as in the Doric order of theTheatre of Marcellus.[6] It forms the crowning feature ofEgyptian temples and took the place of the cymatium in manyEtruscan temples.
Chair rail ordado rail: Horizontal molding placed part way up a wall to protect the surface fromchair-backs, and used simply as decoration
Chin-beak: Concavequarter-round molding, rare in ancient buildings, more common today.[1]
Corner guard: Used to protect the edge of the wall at an outside corner, or to cover a joint on an inside corner.
Cornice: Generally any horizontal decorative molding
Cove molding orcoving: Concave-profile molding that is used at the junction of an interior wall and ceiling
Crown molding: Wide, sprung molding that is used at the junction of an interior wall and ceiling. General term for any molding at the top or "crowning" an architectural element.
Cyma: Molding of double curvature, combining the convexovolo and concavecavetto. When the concave part is uppermost, it is called acyma recta but if the convex portion is at the top, it is called aCyma reversa (See diagram atOgee.) When crowning molding at the entablature is of the cyma form, it is called acymatium.[7]
Dentils: Small blocks spaced evenly along the bottom edge of the cornice
Drip cap: Molding placed over a door or window opening to prevent water from flowing under the siding or across the glass
Echinus: Similar to the ovolo molding and found beneath the abacus of the Doric capital or decorated with theegg-and-dart pattern below the Ionic capital[4]
Egg-and-dart: egg shapes alternating withV-shapes; one of the most widely used classical moldings.[4]
Also: egg and tongue, egg and anchor, egg and star
Fillet: Small, flat band separating two surfaces, or between theflutes of a column. Fillet is also used on handrail applications when the handrail is "plowed" to accept square shaped balusters. The fillet is used on the bottom side of the handrail between each of the balusters.
Fluting: Vertical, half-round grooves cut into the surface of a column in regular intervals, each separated by a flatastragal. This ornament was used for all but theTuscan order
Godroon orGadroon: Ornamental band with the appearance of beading or reeding, especially frequent in silverwork and molding. It comes from the Latinguttus, meaning flask. It is said to be derived from raised work on linen, applied in France to varieties of the, bead and reel, in which the bead is often carved with ornament. In England the term is constantly used by auctioneers to describe the raised convex decorations under the bowl of stone or terracotta vases. The godroons radiate from the vertical support of the vase and rise halfway up the bowl.
Ovolo: Simple, convexquarter-round molding that can also be enriched with the egg-and-dart or other pattern
Neck molding
Panel mold: A molding that is flat on the back and profiled on the face. It is applied directly on a flat surface like a wall or flush door in squares or rectangles to simulate a panel.
Picture rail: Functional molding installed 2.1–2.7 metres (7–9 ft) above the floor from which framed art is hung, common in commercial buildings and homes withplaster walls.
Scotia: Concave molding with asymmetric upper and lower profiles. When used as a base its lower edge projects beyond the top, as on columns as a transition between two torus moldings with different diameters;[4] also used with its upper edge projecting on mantels, crown moldings, and on stairs, supporting their treads' nosing
Screen molding: Small molding used to hide and reinforce where a screen is attached to its frame.
Shoe molding,toe molding orquarter-round: Small flexible molding used at the junction of a baseboard and floor as a stylistic element or to cover any gap between the two.
Strapwork: Imitates thick lengths of leather straps applied to a surface to produce pattern of ribs in connected circles, squares, scrolls, lozenges etc. Popular in England in 16th and 17th centuries, used in plaster on ceilings,[10] also sculpted in stone on exterior of buildings, e.g. around entrance doors. Also carved in wood, and used fortopiary designs forparterres.
Torus: Convex, semi-circular molding, larger than an astragal, often at the base of a column, which may be enriched with leaves or plaiting. In theIonic orders there are generally two torus moldings separated by a scotia withannulets.[11]
Trim molding: General term used for moldings used to create added detail or cover up gaps, including corner moldings, cove moldings, rope moldings, quarter rounds, and accent moldings.[12]
At their simplest, moldings hide and help weather seal natural joints produced in the framing process of building a structure. As decorative elements, they are a means of applying light- and dark-shaded stripes to a structural object without having to change the material or applypigments. Depending on their function they may be primarily a means of hiding or weather-sealing a joint, purely decorative, or some combination of the three.
As decorative elements the contrast of dark and light areas gives definition to the object. If a vertical wall is lit at an angle of about 45 degrees above the wall (for example, by the sun) then adding a small overhanging horizontal molding, called afillet molding, will introduce a dark horizontal shadow below it. Adding a vertical fillet to a horizontal surface will create a light vertical shadow. Graded shadows are possible by using moldings in different shapes: theconcavecavetto molding produces a horizontal shadow that is darker at the top and lighter at the bottom; anovolo (convex) molding makes a shadow that is lighter at the top and darker at the bottom. Other varieties of concave molding are thescotia andcongé and other convex moldings theechinus, thetorus and the astragal.
Placing an ovolo directly above a cavetto forms a smooths-shaped curve with vertical ends that is called anogee orcyma reversa molding. Its shadow appears as a band light at the top and bottom but dark in the interior. Similarly, a cavetto above an ovolo forms ans with horizontal ends, called acyma orcyma recta. Its shadow shows two dark bands with a light interior.
When practiced in the Classical tradition the combination and arrangement of moldings are primarily done according to preconceived compositions.[citation needed] Typically, moldings are rarely improvised by the architect or builder, but rather follows established conventions that define the ratio, geometry, scale, and overall configuration of a molding course orentablature in proportion to the entire building. Classical moldings have their roots in ancient civilizations, with examples such the 'cornice cavetto' and 'papyriform columns' appearing inancient Egyptian architecture,[citation needed] while Greek and Roman practices developed into the highly regulatedclassical orders. Necessary to the spread of Classical architecture was the circulation ofpattern books, which provided reproducible copies and diagrammatic plans for architects and builders.[citation needed] Works containing sections and ratios of moldings appear as early as the Roman era withVitruvius and much later influential publications such asGiacomo Barozzi da Vignola's,Five Orders of Architecture, andJames Gibbs's,Rules for Drawing the Several Parts of Architecture. Pattern books can be credited for the regularization and continuity of classical architectural moldings across countries and continents particularly during the colonial era, contributing to the global occurrence of Classical moldings and elements.[citation needed] Pattern books remained common currency amongst architects and builders up until the early 20th century, but soon after mostly disappeared as Classical architecture lost favor toModernist andpost-war building practices that conscientiously stripped their buildings of moldings.[citation needed] However, the study of formalized pattern languages, including moldings, has since been revived through online resources and the popularity ofnew classical architecture in the early 21st century.[citation needed]
The middle ages are characterized as a period of decline and erosion in the formal knowledge of Classical architectural principles.[citation needed] This eventually resulted in an amateur and 'malformed' use of molding patterns that eventually developed into the complex and inventiveGothic style.[citation needed] While impressive and seemingly articulate across Europe, Gothic architecture remained mostly regional and no comprehensive pattern books were developed at the time, but instead likely circulated through pilgrimage and the migration of trained Gothic masons.[citation needed] These medieval forms were later imitated by prominentGothic Revivalists such asAugustus Pugin andEugène Viollet-le-Duc who formalized Gothic moldings, developing them into its own systematic pattern books which could be replicated by architects with no native Gothic architecture.
This article incorporates text from a publication now in thepublic domain: Chambers, Ephraim, ed. (1728)."Table of architecture".Cyclopædia, or an Universal Dictionary of Arts and Sciences. Vol. 1 (1st ed.). James and John Knapton, et al. p. 128.
One or more of the preceding sentences incorporates text from a publication now in thepublic domain: Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Bed-Mould".Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 3 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 622.
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